Some Dances in Harrogate
by ncruuk
Summary: LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX (BBC DRAMA/COMEDY) - Scenes of Caroline & Kate's life together, making a family with Caroline's sons, William & Laurence - FEMSLASH PAIRING. DISCLAIMER - not mine, no profit, just some day dreaming I wrote down (Everything belongs to the BBC and Sally Wainwright - if you recognise a popular cultural reference I've just borrowed that too...)
1. Invitations

"Mum?" The quiet afternoon was interrupted by Laurence's shout from the hall.

"In here love," called Caroline, instinctively reaching out to place a gentle hand on Kate's shoulder, encouraging her to stay lying across the couch with her head in Caroline's lap.

"Mum... oh, hi Kate," said Laurence, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, causing Kate to tense again, thinking his awkwardness was down to her.

"Turn?" encouraged Caroline, "You're ok," she continued, prompting a quick flash of a cheeky grin as Laurence collapsed into the armchair.

"So..." began Laurence, consciously looking at both his mother and Kate.

"So?" prompted Caroline, wondering what he wanted to talk to them about.

"Parents' Evening," said Laurence quickly, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

"Parents' Evening," agreed Caroline, turning and looking out of the window at the rain soaked garden, "do you want me to ask someone?" she finally asked, knowing he was well within his right to want his father there, but maybe her mother, or Alan?

"I don't want Dad..."

"Okay..." Caroline controlled her voice so hopefully he didn't pick up on her relief at that but she couldn't mask her concern and then relief from Kate who had felt Caroline tense only to then relax on hearing Laurence's reluctance to include his Dad.

"Do you have to be there, as Miss McKenzie?" he suddenly asked, startling Kate who was still only just getting used to the verbal shorthand that seemed to exist between Caroline and her children, William in particular.

"When is it?" asked Kate, stalling for time as she sat up properly – much as she appreciated Caroline's willingness and determination to be appropriately open and natural about their relationship in front of her children, she wasn't comfortable conversing with Laurence in a horizontal position.

"Tuesday."

"This Tuesday?" Kate clarified – tomorrow saw the start of parents' evening fortnight, with every evening except the two Fridays occupied for Caroline. For the rest of the teaching staff, they had the odd night off if they didn't have any teaching contact with that night's cohort.

"Yeah."

"I'm not there as Miss McKenzie, no."

"Would you come as Kate please?" asked Laurence, suddenly shy.

"Are you sure?" Kate didn't know what to think.

"Yes. After Mum, you're the person I want."

"Is that ok with you Caroline?" Kate was acutely conscious that the blonde at her side had stayed uncharacteristically quiet during this exchange.

"Perfect," croaked Caroline, unable to say anything else.

"Cool, thanks Mom, Kate!" and, as rapidly as their afternoon quiet had been disturbed, it returned as Laurence headed upstairs.

"What was that about?" asked Kate eventually, wanting to get their conversation started again so that they could return to their lazy afternoon.

"What was what about?"

"The turn thing?"

"Oh – before they can sit down in here in muddy clothes they like me to accept they are clean-ish."

"Okay…"

"You're laughing at me."

"No, smiling at you."

"Smirking at me."

"Thinking you're cute."

"Cute?" Caroline's tone was indignant.

"Adorable," corrected Kate, leaning in and gently kissing her.

"Adorable you say?" asked Caroline when their kiss ended, "are you sure?"

"Yes, because I can just picture you being all headmistress-y in your own sitting room."

"You can picture me being headmistress-y? Is that a word?"

"It's a good word," confirmed Kate, echoing their conversation months earlier about the word 'wired' the day after Celia disappeared temporarily.

"Not controlling, bossy, demanding…" The litany of adjectives John had thrown in her direction the last time they had met still came to hand far too easily.

"Headmistress-y," corrected Kate, smiling before leaning in to bestow another tender kiss on her wonderfully complex love who was slowly having a lifetime of hurts and wounds healed.

"I don't see the difference," said Caroline finally, trying to keep the promise she made all those months ago in the garden about actually trying to let Kate into her world in such a way that Caroline also understood it was their world, a world where they were both equals.

"This house needed a headmistress then," began Kate, picking her words carefully – she never wanted to trash-talk John but, at the same time, she knew she had to try and be truthful, "it was a home for three unruly schoolboys, one of whom never grew up."

"John," acknowledged Caroline, recognising that analogy now: not only had John's behaviour during their separation and current divorce proceedings shown her exactly how immature and self-absorbed his conduct was, but Celia, with Alan's help, had also shown her through their relationship and what Celia could now explain about her relationship with Kenneth, that really, she had married a man exactly like her father.

"This family doesn't have a headmistress anymore, it has a Mum," finished Kate, wiping a tear from Caroline's face.

"I've changed, haven't I?" asked Caroline softly, recognising the truth in Kate's words.

"Changed back."

"Changed back?"

"Changed back to the wonderful person you were growing into when you were at university."

"You've been speaking to my mother?"

"Maybe…" teased Kate, glad to see some brightness coming back into Caroline's eyes.

"You do realise she doesn't know all the stories?"

"I know, but she's told me enough…"

"Enough to?"

"Enough to wonder what might have happened if I'd gone to Oxford not Cambridge."

"You're younger than me!"

"Not by that much – you would have been finishing your PhD."

"DPhil…" teased Caroline, referring to her doctorate the way Oxford does as opposed to the Cambridge convention.

"I'd probably have been seduced by the sophisticated post-grad," continued Kate, enjoying their teasing.

"And I'd have been smitten with the exotic young beauty…"

"Don't call me that!" protested Kate, not feeling remotely exotic, reaching out to place her hands gently on Caroline's hips.

"Exotic…" breathed Caroline, leaning in for another kiss only to be startled when Kate started tickling her.

"Hey!" she giggled.

"Don't call me that!"

"Not fair," wheezed Caroline, finally giving up in her attempts to tickle Kate and instead made to grab Kate's hands, "you're not ticklish."

"Not there, no," qualified Kate, allowing Caroline to pull her forwards so they were lying together on the sofa.

"But you are ticklish?"

"In places, yes. And no, I'm not telling you just now," said Kate, anticipating Caroline's next question.

"Meanie."

"Brat."

"Spoilsport."

"Fabulous."

"Amazing," said Caroline, running her fingers through Kate's long dark hair and watching the emotions and doubts flash through Kate's eyes, "really, really amazing," she repeated eventually, before leaning in for another kiss, relishing the emotions she experienced when they were cuddling and kissing like this – it wasn't without passion but it was an intimacy that wasn't sexual, kisses that communicated a shared understanding and emotional connection, kisses that were sustaining and vital in and of themselves and not a pre-cursor to sex (although those kisses were also fabulous).

"I'm still somewhat shocked," began Kate eventually, when their quiet afternoon peace had returned, admittedly now with the added counterpoint of two teenage boys' stereos making the house shake just a little.

"You don't have to do parents' evening," began Caroline.

"No, I want to," interrupted Kate, meaning it, "it took a lot for him to ask me for help – it's kind of him to let me share in the praise."

"It's always been harder for him than for William," Caroline eased her fingers under Kate's shirt just enough to find the warmth of skin, helping her to keep calm and relaxed as she remembered the recent years and the juggling act between headmistress and mother.

"Because of the dyslexia?" queried Kate gently, remembering that first Scrabble game she'd played with William and Laurence on Caroline's birthday.

"Hmm, a little, but more about me being the Headmistress," Caroline sensed Kate was about to interrupt, "sshh, I mean being the actual headmistress, not headmistress-y," she qualified before continuing, "when he was struggling, before it was clear it was dyslexia, he found it difficult to talk to me about it as his mum because he thought he was getting his teachers in trouble with the headmistress."

"That must have been upsetting to discover, how did William tell you?"

"How did you know it was William?" asked Caroline, amazed at Kate's accuracy.

"He's a sensitive boy who's growing up into a caring and responsible you man who…" Kate trailed off, not wishing to go down a conversational tangent just this second.

"Who?"

"Who we will talk about after we've finished talking about his impressive younger brother," hedged Kate, feeling Caroline's smile and cheeky pinch to her hip.

"William told me Laurence wasn't enjoying school but was scared to tell me in case I though he was telling me I had a bad school," explained Caroline slowly, remembering those difficult few days when she'd felt like a horrible mother whose son was too scared to talk with her.

"What did John do?" asked Kate, curious about how he'd behaved before the marriage hit the final low point with him moving out and in with Judith.

"Much the same as recently – drank his way through the wine rack and characterised me as a career-driven, cold-hearted bitch."

"All of which is untrue," whispered Kate, pressing a soft kiss to Caroline's neck, which was the only bit of her in kissing range.

"Until you arrived in all our lives, it was William and me helping, but William mainly…"

"Because of the job?" asked Kate, learning another complex part of Caroline's troubled juggling of her roles as mother and headmistress.

"A little, but more because it wasn't science," Caroline trailed off as she remembered the start of her teaching career, "that was my field, Chemistry was my subject."

"Is your subject," corrected Kate gently, remembering some of their conversations when Caroline had patiently and passionately explained her research, her favourite experiments to teach or just explained whatever popular science programme they bumped into on television.

"I think you're probably the only person in the staff room who even thinks I might have a subject, nevermind taught it," commented Caroline bitterly.

"Something else to talk about another time and correct," suggested Kate kindly, already with half an idea that she thought Caroline would agree with.

"I enjoyed English and Languages, was good at them but Science and Chemistry specifically? That fascinates me and so, when Laurence was struggling, I tried, I really tried but…"

"But you were his Mum and a Chemistry teacher, not an English teacher, " or his Dad, observed Kate, but she kept that to herself, understanding what Caroline would have found it difficult to help Laurence but also understanding why it had been hard for Caroline to understand and accept, especially with John's unsupportive comments.

"Sounds silly now, doesn't it?" asked Caroline, recognising how obvious the issue really was – not everyone can teach or explain everything, nor was it a realistic expectation for something just because they were called 'Mum'.

"Totally understandable, and it all worked alright, didn't it?"

"Better than alright, as you'll find out at parents' evening."

"Oh god, I'm going to parents' evening!" Kate felt her heart start to race and her stomach twist as she realised what she'd volunteered to do.

"Sshh…" soothed Caroline, feeling Kate's body tense in her arms.

"Are you going to be ok?" asked Kate suddenly, surprising Caroline.

"Me? Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's quite a statement," started Kate, easing herself up into a sitting position, causing Caroline to frown, "I want to be able to see you," she explained, stroking Caroline's cheek in a reassuring gesture.

"The staff room and the Governors both know about us," said Caroline, trying to understand why Kate was calling it a 'statement'.

"You really are ok with this?" repeated Kate, in awe of how calm Caroline was.

"Yes – I was more nervous about what would have happened if he hadn't wanted you," admitted Caroline, uncomfortable about bringing John up, only too conscious he was her baggage to deal with, not Kate's.

"Stop it."

"Huh?" Confused, Caroline waited for Kate to clarify.

"Stop thinking John's only your burden to carry. We're in a relationship, with each other, and that means we both share the good bits and the less fun bits."

"But…"

"No buts – you come with me to see my father, I help your son with his homework, we have Sunday Lunch with Alan and Celia, you rub my feet whilst I'm doing my marking, we both have a pint with Gilliam, we both wish William would call you more often and we both share the irritation that John's behaviour generates."

"You don't rub my feet," teases Caroline, the only comment she can think to make that won't make her burst into full on tears in response to Kate's little speech.

"Because it's a self-inflicted pain, and because you always want a neck rub," teased Kate, happy to revisit the old argument – for a lazy Sunday afternoon, this was become quite intense one way or another.

"But they're fabulous shoes, you always," Caroline pauses, not sure whether she's bold enough to continue.

"Ogle your legs? Naturally, because they make you look glorious."

"Glorious?" It wasn't the word Caroline was expecting.

"You have no idea how sexy you look, striding around school in them."

"Really?"

"Really – why do you think I stopped going to Assembly?" asked Kate, blushing slightly as she realised her mouth had slightly run away from her.

"I thought it was because you didn't have a form to supervise, wait, you used to go before, when you didn't have a form."

"Uh huh, I stopped?"

"When?"

"Two days after your mother asked me to play the organ at their wedding." Kate was certain she was blushing bright red now.

"Two days after…" Caroline paused as she remembered that evening, when her mother had gone and apologised to Kate and then brought her round, the night the boys had both gone and stayed with friends, the night they'd had the house to themselves… "…why two days after?"

"Because the next day I went to assembly and was so distracted I almost forgot my lesson."

"You have a thing for my legs when I'm wearing my heels?"

"Aren't you going to applaud me for realising standing like a love-struck teenager in Assembly drooling over you wasn't a professional thing to do?" countered Kate, her face flaming.

"I probably should," pondered Caroline, stretching her nylon clad leg out in front of them, attracting Kate's attention.

"Minx!" teased Kate quietly, her earlier stress about going to Laurence's parents' evening temporarily dissipated.

"Uh huh, what are you going to do about it?" queried Caroline, leaning in towards Kate, intent on kissing her.

"Oh no you don't," countered Kate quickly, leaning back so her lips were just out of Caroline's reach.

"Huh? Don't what?"

"Kiss me, like that!"

"Oh?" Caroline looked crestfallen.

"Because it's half past three on a Sunday afternoon, your sons are upstairs, William's train is in a couple of hours and I still have 8G and 10J's marking to do, not to mention you've got half a briefcase of work to review still."

"So?"

"So if you kiss me like that now, I'll end up taking my marking home after dinner."

"Stay the night?" asked Caroline hopefully, understanding Kate's reasoning and acknowledging the pragmatism – they shouldn't really retreat to her bedroom now, especially if it was going to mean enforced separation later in order to prepare for the week.

"Love to," agreed Kate, confident enough in their relationship now not to start asking if the boys would mind – they'd made it incredible clear on more than one occasion that they really didn't, although both ladies were adamant that quiet, romantic love-making was more fitting than loud, passionate sex – that was what Kate's house was for.

"I'm glad it's you going to his parents' evening," repeated Caroline, threading their hands together.

"Rather than John?"

"Rather than anyone, other than me," admitted Caroline honestly.

"You know everyone will be by your office during Tuesday to tell you what they're going to say anyway," pointed out Kate, understanding that Caroline's fears lay as much in people's perceptions of her as a Mother as much as anything else.

"And he will tell me everything, even the bad stuff – they've always both been very good at that," agreed Caroline.

"But it's not the same, I understand that."

"I know you do. Are you really going to be alright though?" asked Caroline, almost awestruck at the compassion and caring Kate had for the boys as well as Caroline who knew she wasn't always easy to be with.

"I think so – it's not like the staff don't know, and some of the parents have seen us at his sports matches, but I'm sure I'll panic some more nearer the time."

"How is it now, in the staff room?" Caroline's intended caring earned her a quizzical look, prompting her to rethink how to phrase her question. "As your girlfriend," Caroline punctuated her opening rephrasing with a soft, chaste kiss to Kate's lips, "who gets to retreat to an office when not striking fear and dread into everyone who meets her," she deliberately exaggerated, knowing Kate would start to protest, giving her an excuse to cut her off with another kiss, "I'm curious to know how work is for you and whether you're having any issues with your colleagues, especially as I have no idea how bitchy this current crop of teachers really is."

"Doesn't Beverley tell you the gossip?" asked Kate, referring to Caroline's efficient but sometimes intrusive secretary.

"No, but then she never really has."

"It's ok, better after…" Kate paused, wondering what to tell Caroline, but deciding to focus on telling her girlfriend, not her Boss' Boss, "…after William spoke to them."

"William? My son William?" Caroline was speechless.

"Apparently, he went and saw Gavin, before he went off to Oxford and asked him to call all the staff together, only ones to miss it were us two."

"What did he say?" asked Caroline, amazed at her son's bravery, only to jump slightly when said son started to speak from the doorway.

"I asked them to be as fair to Laurence as they'd always been to me and to therefore also be fair to you and not gossip or snipe about your relationship. Laurence was always going to have someone teasing him about the divorce and his mum having a girlfriend – I wanted the staff to realise it would only be worse if they were fuelling the fire by gossiping about the Headmistress."

"What happened next?"

"Michael Dobson shot his mouth off apparently," volunteered Kate, curious about how long William had been standing in the doorway.

"So I asked him if he'd got anywhere when he'd tried to blackmail you Mum, especially since he was Kate's friend. Mrs Aspinal was furious."

"Does that explain why I was one Geography teacher short last term?"

"Probably," retorted William, earning him a wry smile from his mother and a chuckle from Kate.

"What else did you say?"

"I asked Mrs Robertshaw what she thought."

"Smart move – she rules that staff room the same way she rules the library," concluded Caroline, not sure if she should laugh or cry at her son's bravery and tactical nous at involving the iron-fisted elderly librarian in the issue.

"She asked me if Kate visited," as his mother started to pull a face he held up a hand to forestall her interruption, "and asked if Laurence liked her, and asked if I was worried about anything now I was going off to Oxford."

"What did you say?"

"Yes, yes, yes, but it had nothing to do with Kate as long as Kate was with Mum and Mum was happy." William looked apologetically at Kate, "I sort of assumed you'd let Mum know if you weren't happy."

"I will," agreed Kate quietly with half a smile, remembering that cold early summer's day when she'd done exactly that in the garden sitting on the bench with Caroline whilst John looked on.

"What did Mrs Robertshaw say?" asked Caroline, now convinced she'd start crying any moment.

"What she really thought about Dad, which wasn't much and that she thought Kate was lovely and that, if I was happy to leave home and go to University more concerned about Kate leaving than staying then everything was fine by her and the staff should get on with their own miserable lives."

"God I love that woman!"

"Hey!"

"In a crotchety aunt sort of way," qualified Caroline, enjoying the mock indignation from Kate and smirk from her son.

"You're forgiven," teased Kate before she stood and went over to William, "thank you. You didn't need to have done that, but you are a remarkable man for doing so," and, conscious that she was making the shy young man nervous, she quickly hugged him and muttered 'thank you' again before continuing to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and give Caroline a mother-son moment, "I'll put the kettle on."

"Did it work?" asked William nervously, slightly surprised it had taken this long for his intervention to come to his mother's attention.

"Yes, it sounds like it did – certainly Laurence hasn't said anything about being teased or bullied and Kate and I keep a close eye on him."

"Are you mad?"

"No…proud, amazed," Caroline wasn't sure what words to use. She wasn't sure she was that brave as a headmistress, nevermind as an 18 year old.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop – I came looking for you both and heard and, well, it wasn't really Kate's story to tell."

"Everything ok?" asked Caroline, suddenly afraid for what he might have to tell her – did he hate Oxford?

"Yeah, great. You mind if we wait for Kate? It's sort of news for her as well as you."

"Sure, but let's go find her," suggested Caroline, correctly guessing Kate's absence was primarily motivated by a wish to give Caroline a moment with William rather than an actual thirst for tea.

"Kate?"

"Yes?"

"I'm in the College Choir," was all William said, prompting a broad grin from Kate who had encouraged him to audition in the first place.

"That's brilliant, well done William." Unsure what else to say, Kate waited for Caroline's reaction, which was a crushing, congratulatory hug for her son.

"Umm, there's a Palm Sunday service at the end of term, I'm going to sing a solo, it's the weekend Laurence is away on his rugby trip, so, well, would you both come?"

"To Oxford, for the weekend?" asked Caroline, blinking in amazement at her son's behaviour, again.

"Both of us?" asked Kate, her thoughts echoing Caroline's – William was a truly remarkable young man.

"Yes."

"We'd love to," replied Caroline and Kate simultaneously, causing William to grin.

"Great. I'll go pack, my train's in an hour." And with that, he left the two stunned women as abruptly as he'd joined them.

"Did he just, I mean, are we?" stuttered Caroline, reaching for Kate.

"Did your son, who kicked our bitchy, gossipy colleagues into line, just invite us to have a weekend away together, to see him sing his first solo? Yes," summarised Kate, equally stunned by his generosity. It would have been much easier and completely understandable if he'd only wanted his mother to go.

"Darling, darling boy…" said Caroline, running her fingers across Kate's, in awe of her willingness to have a relationship with her boys.

"Takes after his mother," was all Kate could think to say before she leaned into kiss Caroline gently, tea forgotten.


	2. Evenings Spoiled

"How we doing?" asked Kate as she and Laurence stood to the side of the school hall, letting other pupil-parent combinations move around them.

"All done, apart from Mum," said Laurence, looking at his list of who they had to see and when – he wasn't to ever know that Kate had compiled her own copy and memorised it, wanting to be prepared for which of her colleagues she had to sit down with in a 'parent' capacity.

"Alright – she looks like she's got a queue," said Kate, standing up on tiptoe in order to see the table at the far end of the hall where Dr Elliot was sat behind a small sign saying 'Headmistress'.

"She doesn't mind if she doesn't see me in my slot," explained Laurence, unknowingly echoing Caroline's own explanation to Kate earlier in the day.

"So, how about we let your Mum use your slot to get back on schedule a bit and go get some take-away?" suggested Kate, sizing up Caroline's queue and recognising some 'wafflers' from past parents' evenings who, even with the benefit of Laurence's slot, were going to make it difficult for Caroline to make up time.

"Really?" Laurence was impressed – take out was a very rare event in the Elliot household, a genuine treat, so to be rewarded on parents' evening with it was an added bonus for the fourteen year old.

"Sure – we'll go get some Chinese and camp out in your Mum's office. Have you got a book or something?" asked Kate, knowing better than to define the 'something' as homework, whilst mentally timing the line waiting for Caroline and deciding they had enough time to collect the takeaway via the Elliot household if Laurence had forgotten to bring anything.

"No, I forgot," admitted Laurence sheepishly, remembering his mother quite clearly reminding him to make sure he had something with him to keep him occupied in case they ended up having to wait for her. Was this going to mean the end of the takeaway treat?

"Ok, so we take a detour home to grab it," decided Kate, quickly realising Laurence's oversight not only gave her an added opportunity to spoil Caroline, but was also not a mistake worth punishing and therefore risking a fight over – for all his generally good behaviour, Laurence was still a teenager and moodiness was not something Kate was interested in experiencing this evening, "I'll just go let Caroline know our cunning plan."

"Can I go say hi to Sam?" asked Laurence, reasonably politely, gesturing to his best friend who was patiently waiting with his parents to see his mother, not wanting to get on her bad side, which was almost as scary as his mother's.

"Sure – by the door in ten minutes," said Kate, anticipating her one minute conversation with Caroline would take much longer to accomplish as she could see at least 3 members of her choir between her and Caroline.

"Deal," agreed Laurence, disappearing into the flow of people moving around the hall, leaving Kate to make a slower, more decorous transit of the Hall which fortunately, Caroline spotted and managed to engineer her conversation with the parents of a new student to a close just as Kate appeared.

"I'm sorry Mr Jenkins, Mrs Jenkins – would you excuse me for one moment before we talk about Josh's brilliance in the Debate Club and Hockey team? I just need to speak with Miss McKenzie," and, with a graceful ease that belied the stiffness she felt from sitting for two hours in a far from toasty hall, Caroline rose from her chair and took a couple of steps away from the next set of flattered parents and blushing Josh so their conversation was not overheard.

"You're magnificent," complimented Kate, shoving her hands in her pockets to stop her reaching out and touching Caroline, "but I actually came to tell you Laurence and I are done, apart from seeing you so we're going to get Chinese takeaway and wait for you in your office."

"I could kiss you," was all Caroline said, keeping a tight grip on the folds of her academic gown so she didn't reach out and pull Kate into an heartfelt embrace that really wouldn't have been particularly appropriate or Headmistress-like.

"You've got one hour," said Kate grinning, "before your dinner starts getting cold."

"Thank you," and, with a sheepish grin (that was the mirror image of her son's and even more cute, thought Kate) when her stomach let out a traitorous grumble, Caroline turned her attention back to Mr and Mrs Jenkins – one hour, eight more sets of parents, she could do this.

* * *

One hour and five minutes later, Caroline strode down the corridor to her office, a glance at her watch confirming that they had just over an hour until the caretaker would be knocking on her office door to signal he thought she should be home, a knock which always coincided with his 10pm final lock up. Entering her office, she was greeted with the unexpectedly wonderful sight of plates of hot food on her desk and a glass of red wine on the mat that normally saw a mug of tea.

"Hey," said Kate quietly, looking up from the plate she was just putting spring rolls on.

"Hello," Caroline shut the door and leant against it, kicking off her heels as she took in the sight of her wonderful girlfriend and son.

"Hi Mum, Kate said I could start," explained Laurence, pausing in his demolition of what looked like sweet and sour chicken with plain rice.

"Smart Kate," agreed Caroline, hanging up her academic gown and taking the clip out of her hair, a symbolic gesture that she hoped would help to alleviate her headache.

"Headache?" asked Kate sympathetically, coming to stand in front of Caroline offering a glass of red wine in what looked suspiciously like one of her wine glasses from home.

"Mmm, thank you," Caroline accepted the glass and stole a quick kiss, confident Laurence wouldn't object, being spectacularly unobservant if there was food in front of him, "a bit of one, but it's already starting to go."

"Liar," teased Kate, gesturing towards the desk, "I promise I merely moved the piles, I can put everything back exactly."

"She's got a little diagram and everything Mum," volunteered Laurence, earning him a whispered 'traitor' from Kate who was amused at his willingness to betray her neat-freak tendency.

"This is wonderful, you are wonderful, you're both wonderful," declared Caroline, taking in the family scene, "where am I sitting?" she asked, not wanting to assume she was sitting at her desk chair and automatically relegating Kate to a guest chair.

"Do you want more duck or lamb?" asked Kate, naming two of their favourite dishes which she'd split between their two plates.

"Umm, quack?" joked Caroline, earning her a snort from Laurence which reminded her that, despite being a teenager, he was still her little boy at heart.

"Grab the big chair then Boss," encouraged Kate, gesturing towards Caroline's desk chair as that was the plate that had fractionally more duck on it, not to mention being far more comfortable than the guest chairs or the hard wooden chair Caroline had had to sit on for the duration of parents' evening.

"So…" began Caroline, once both she and Kate had eaten a few mouthfuls of their dinner, "…who's coming to complain to me tomorrow about my horrible son?" teased Caroline, pointing her fork at a smirking Laurence who was used to the joke that started every post-parent's evening discussion with his mother and promptly launched into an entertaining monologue about the evening whilst Kate and Caroline continued to eat, with Kate contributing occasionally, much to both Mother and Son's delight.

"Tired?" asked Kate gently as they slowly walked down the deserted corridor some 45 minutes later, Laurence having gone on ahead to unlock the Jeep.

"A little," agreed Caroline, reaching for Kate's hand, "thank you," she added, giving Kate's hand a confirming squeeze.

"For dinner? No problem – hopefully your office won't smell of Chinese tomorrow," replied Kate, just glad they'd all managed to eat before anyone got cranky from hunger.

"For everything – for being a normal person for Laurence to go to parents' evening with, for putting up with me, for dinner, for…for everything," Caroline ground to a halt and turned to look at Kate who, in the half light of the unlit corridor, illuminated only by the streetlights shining through the windows, looked thought Caroline, like she was glowing, "I love you." It wasn't the first time Caroline had said it, but it was the first time she'd said it outside of either of their houses.

"I love you too," confirmed Kate, leaning towards Caroline, only to be met halfway as the blonde also leant in for the kiss.

"We're getting good at that," whispered Caroline when they finally parted.

"Cos we keep practicing," agreed Kate, unable to resist stealing another kiss from her unusually pliable and seemingly sleepy girlfriend.

"Mmm, can we practice some more later?" asked Caroline as they set off slowly down the corridor again, conscious Laurence was waiting for them in the car.

"I've still got some marking to do," warned Kate, remembering the stack of exercise books she'd collected earlier in the day that really needed to be marked tonight if she wasn't going to have a horrible night later in the week.

"Oh." Caroline's face fell slightly on hearing that as she'd been about to wonder if Kate wanted to stay – was it very wrong of her to be jealous of her own son for getting to spend the entire evening with her girlfriend?

"Yeah, and I left it on your kitchen counter earlier when we stopped by to get the wine," explained Kate, confirming the mystery of the wine glass, relieved to see the smile appear on Caroline's face as the blonde realised this meant she was staying the night – Kate had been worrying she'd been too presumptuous despite Caroline's repeated invitations to stay over whenever she liked.

"Good night George," called Caroline suddenly, seeing the Caretaker ahead as they approached the school main door and could see Laurence standing by the car, looking up at the stars.

"Good night Dr Elliot, Miss McKenzie," called the caretaker, the older gentleman smiling kindly in their direction and unfazed by their joined hands – he'd always liked the modern languages and music teacher and he'd never seen Dr Elliot look so relaxed and, well, human until this relationship had started, which could only be good for the school.

"I'll drive," said Kate quietly, opening the front passenger door for Caroline whilst Laurence clambered into the back of the big vehicle.

"Thank you for everything," repeated Caroline, struggling to remember ever feeling this spoilt, earning her a gentle smile from Kate before she headed around to the driver's side and pointed them in the direction of Caroline's home.

* * *

"He asleep?" asked Kate when Caroline appeared in the doorway, her glass of wine that she'd taken upstairs with her still half full.

"Almost, he's reading for a few minutes first," said Caroline, still finding it strange that her son, for so many years almost phobic about reading a book outside of his school work, was now actually enjoying reading books of any sort before he went to sleep.

"You have a good chat?" Kate was careful not to intrude on mother-son matters but was equally keen to know if they had managed to talk more seriously about parents' evening than their entertaining but reasonably superficial conversation over dinner as she knew how difficult it was for Caroline to have to cope with not being allowed to be Laurence's mother at school event because so often she had to be the headmistress first.

"Wonderful – more of what he told us over dinner and he's already thinking about his GCSE options, so we talked about that, which was nice," Caroline lingered by the end of the couch, unsure whether Kate had finished her marking yet.

"I've got two more to mark – should be done in five minutes or so," said Kate, correctly guessing Caroline's unspoken question and gesturing to the two exercise books at her side.

"Want a top up?" Caroline picked up Kate's empty wine glass which, when full, had contained Kate's first glass of the evening, having shared Laurence's Coke at dinner in order to designate herself their driver for the evening.

"I'd love one," agreed Kate, reaching for her next book to mark, "if you pour slowly, I'll be finished by the time you're back," she estimated, looking forward to some 'Caroline time' as she dubbed it. Whilst she genuinely enjoyed the company of the boys, either on their own or with Caroline, it wasn't the same as when the two of them were spending time together without company or interruption.

"Sure, don't rush," said Caroline seriously, knowing how easy it was to mess up the final marking if you allowed yourself to become distracted thinking about what you were going to do after you'd finished – it was especially embarrassing when it was work done by the younger classes that was usually very black and white to mark, making every mistake by the teacher gleefully discoverable, "still ok with red?"

"Lovely."

"I'll be right back," and, on that note, Caroline headed into the kitchen where she poured the remainder of the bottle Kate had opened earlier into their glasses before getting a large glass of water which she drank in one go, the cool water blissful against her hoarse throat which was starting to suffer from the intensive talking session parents' evenings always were for her, and she was only on number two of eight!

Thirst quenched, she headed for the fridge, pleased to see that the leftovers from Sunday's family lunch with William before he went back to Oxford hadn't been polished off by Laurence and, with a spoon in her pocket, Caroline carefully picked up the two wine glasses and her treat and returned to the sitting room to find Kate putting her final exercise book down on the 'marked' pile.

"Done?"

"Done, oh, let me help you." Kate leapt to her feet and rescued the two glasses of red wine from Caroline's hand.

"Thanks, do you fancy some music?" asked Caroline, heading towards the stereo system, wondering why she even asked as Kate always answered,

"I'll never say no to music, it's how you ended up with so many choirs!"

"Jazz?" Caroline spied an Ella Fitzgerald CD that was appropriately mellow and matched their mood.

"Perfect," agreed Kate as she gently pushed the sitting room door closed – Laurence's bedroom was right at the top of the house and they would only be playing the music quietly but nevertheless, he did have school tomorrow and didn't need to be disturbed.

"Come here?" asked Caroline a moment later, propped up in the corner of the couch, gesturing for Kate to use her as a backrest.

"I was going to give you a neck rub," began Kate, pointing towards the cushion she'd put on the floor in front of the couch earlier.

"Let me spoil you first? You've been spoiling me all evening," entreated Caroline, almost wishing she still had her reading glasses on so that she could peer over them in an attempt to persuade Kate.

"If you insist." Kate's smile echoed her teasing tone as she crossed back to the couch and, after making sure both wine glasses were in reach, settled down against Caroline in what was a familiar position only to feel something…. "…is that a…"

"Spoon in my pocket? Yes, I forgot!" exclaimed Caroline, pulling the offending item out of her pocket and showing it to an amused Kate, "…what? Why are you laughing at me?"

"You're magnificent," repeated Kate, echoing her comment made back in the school hall.

"So you keep saying, but it's quite undeserved," said Caroline, struggling like always to accept Kate's compliments.

"So I shall just keep reminding you of your magnificence," stated Kate reasonably, looking at the brandished spoon, "is this some cutlery fetish you only now feel comfortable sharing?" she asked, unclear why the spoon had been in Caroline's pocket in the first place.

"What? No! Don't be stupid, it's for the chocolate mousse."

"Oh?"

"I've done this all wrong," started Caroline, getting flustered which was yet another of the litany of small things that were gradually starting to emerge as Caroline continued to relax and have relationships with other people (but particularly Kate) like 'normal' people did as she had once described it, things that generally first appeared around Kate or William, things that generally only endeared her even more to Kate.

"Then start again," suggested Kate amiably, standing up so that Caroline could get comfortable again, this time without the spoon in her pocket. "Okay?" she asked, once Caroline had positioned the blanket on the back of the couch and had her wine glass, spoon and Tupperware box all in reach.

"Almost," confirmed Caroline, patting the couch in invitation for Kate to snuggle into their familiar cuddling position which saw Kate lying against Caroline, legs tangled together. As invitations went, it was one Kate always quickly accepted.

"This is nice," said Kate after a few moments once they were settled, Caroline's fingers tracing lazy patterns on her arm and stomach, her neck being gently caressed by the even cadence of Caroline's breathing, the quiet hum of Ella Fitzgerald singing about a still distant 'Summertime' in the background.

"One thing can make it better though."

"I thought we agreed, no sex anywhere except your bedroom," teased Kate, unwilling to admit quite how readily she would break that (very sensible and necessary) rule as she mourned the loss of Caroline's teasing caress of her stomach through her shirt.

"Ahem, only two things could make this better, one of which we will revisit next time I stay over at your place," amended Caroline, "and that is chocolate," she announced, as, with an air of triumph, she managed to open the Tupperware box one handed and extract a spoonful of chocolate mousse which she now presented to Kate who obediently ate the mouthful.

"Mmm, did I tell you enough on Sunday how wonderful this is?" asked Kate once she's licked the spoon clean, enabling Caroline to have some herself.

"You might have mentioned it, once or twice," agreed Caroline, remembering Kate joining William and Laurence's general chorus of approval for the homemade dessert.

"Thank you."

"What for? It's only some leftovers."

"No, for this evening."

"I should be the one thanking you…"

"I never really told you how grateful I am that you let me be a part of your life with the boys," explained Kate, snuggling deeper into Caroline's body as if to make sure she couldn't disappear.

"How could I not?" asked Caroline, genuinely confused – Kate was a vital part of her life, the boys were an essential part of her life – it would be exhausting trying to separate them.

"Umm…" Not expecting Caroline's viewpoint, Kate was at a loss for words, only for Caroline to find some for both of them.

"Is that something 'normal' people would have done? Kept you in a boys' free corner? Why? I mean, it's part of what I am, part of who I am, and anyway, you'd already met William and Laurence at school, so it's not like I could pretend they didn't exist… oh, did I just assume…" Caroline's monologue ground to a halt when she realised she'd 'been just like a man' and assumed Kate would be part of her family's life and not just her life.

"No, you didn't assume, you were true to you, and it's that that I'm so very grateful for." Suddenly regretting their comfortable snuggling position as it made it impossible for Kate to see Caroline's face, Kate sat up, taking care not to elbow her confused girlfriend, and turned to look at her, unable to resist kissing her gently before trying again to explain what she had meant. "Tonight made me realise, in a good way, that I've always been a part of your family's life, ever since your birthday and that first game of Scrabble, as well as being a part of your life, and that's something that is very special and I hadn't been expecting when I first wanted to kiss you. It wasn't something you had to share with me, but you did even though it couldn't have been easy with our jobs and the divorce and I'm still a bit scared of your mother… Sshh…" Kate forestalled Caroline's interruption with a finger to her lips, "but you did it anyway and with your usual magnificent confidence that just meant it happened. I spent all day panicking, not about parents' evening but about why I wasn't panicking about it and that was how I realised, well, really noticed what I already knew, that you had let me get to know your family as well as you, that the boys had let me become part of this family as well as part of you, that I've been able to fall in love with all of you and all parts of you. I love you."

"You are part of this family, you are part of me," confirmed Caroline, catching a stray tear on her thumb as it tried to escape down Kate's cheek, "I wouldn't have it any other way. I love my boys and would do anything for them except hide you from them, because I love you the way I've never loved anyone before and I don't want to lose this feeling. You're stuck with us, if you'll have us?" asked Caroline, smiling at Kate who was still tearful but was also smiling.

"Is that a proposal?"

"What? No, I mean…" Caroline paused as she reviewed what she'd just said, grateful Kate wasn't panicking or talking just yet, "if you mean is it me asking you to be a part of my world and my family's world for a long, long time, then yes. My mother's 80th is in four years' time, we won't mention my 50th, but there's Laurence's 18th, both their 21sts, graduations, weddings maybe, grandchildren hopefully… all these dates I want you to plan for, with me, so yes, it is a sort of proposal."

"I accept your sort of proposal," whispered Kate, "and when the time comes, we are definitely mentioning your 50th," she teased, before threading her fingers into Caroline's hair and pulling her into a searing, passionate kiss, a kiss that Caroline happily reciprocated and soon became another and another until finally Kate could stand it no more and informed Caroline she was taking the chocolate mousse, minus the spoon, to Caroline's bedroom.

"Will I need to change the sheets in the morning?" asked Caroline as, taking Kate's hand, they quickly turned out the lights and checked the front and back doors were locked.

"Only if we do it right…" taunted Kate before running nimbly up the stairs, leaving Caroline to chase (quietly) after her…


	3. Marking Time

"I mean, how difficult is it to find all his rugby kit when I asked him to find all his rugby kit?" asked an exasperated Caroline collapsing onto the couch and half wishing Kate was with her in person rather than on the end of the phone.

"Because he's a teenage boy?" suggested Kate, smiling at Caroline's frustration.

"You're laughing at me…"

"I'm not!" protested Kate, breaking out into a broad grin in spite of herself.

"Do not argue with the triple superpower, it's infallible when it comes to detecting being laughed at."

"Triple? And stop pouting," countered Kate, giving up with any pretence and actually laughing.

"Headmistress, mother and girlfriend, and I wasn't pouting…" began Caroline, only to be interrupted by Kate's own infallible 'superpowers',

"Not buying – as girlfriend, teacher and big sister, I'm very experienced in pout detection and, since I can't kiss you, it's pointless."

"Am I very kissable when I pout?" asked Caroline, abandoning any denial plan now Kate had brought up kissing.

"Extremely, but fortunately you don't do it when the boys are around or we're at work," stated Kate, blushing at what she was admitting to but knowing that Caroline wouldn't abuse her newly discovered power too much.

"How's your marking going?"

"Quite a subject change."

"You're there and I'm here with my son who I could HAPPILY STRANGLE!" The last past was shouted for Laurence's benefit as he ran back upstairs, having clearly just found yet more dirty rugby kit that he hoped his mother would magically make clean and white.

"Ok then, subject change…" laughed Kate, "…marking's going – I think I might set a personal record tonight," explained Kate, eying the stacks of exercise books that covered her dining room table, "needed a new red pen."

"That bad?" asked Caroline, wincing in sympathy, even if intellectually she knew that a red pen could and would run out at any point and bore no relation to how much marking was being doing in an evening. She had always been very grateful that the science syllabuses had rarely felt the need to require essays be written.

"No, generally not bad, but I try to explain why I'm marking the way I am, which sometimes goes on a bit…" admitted Kate, knowing she was well known for her 'margin notes'.

"I happen to know most of your A-Level students try to deliberately finish their essays on the first lines of a new page so you'll have plenty of space to write comments," explained Caroline, recalling some of her chats with the A-Level students that were her privilege as Headmistress.

"I find that hard to believe," blushed Kate, no better than Caroline at receiving compliments from her girlfriend but nevertheless quickly rifling through the essays she'd already marked.

"How many?" asked Caroline, knowing exactly what Kate was doing.

"How many essays finish in the top few lines of a fresh page? Eight."

"You've 11 in your A-Level group?"

"How'd you know that?"

"You mean aside from my stalker-ish girlfriend tendencies that mean I still want to know everything about you?" teased Caroline, wondering how she was really going to answer Kate's question and again, wishing she was sat next to Kate on the couch and not curled up alone, with her girlfriend on the other end of the phone.

"Aside from that, although I'd go for caring and loving rather than stalker-ish."

"I had to explain my decision not to have two sets to the Governors."

"Why? I mean, can you tell me now or do I need to make an appointment?" asked Kate, taking care not to sound defensive or panicked, merely curious. It was one of the very few and fortunately, extremely rare moments of tension that could creep into their relationship, and arose from Caroline's desire to be totally supportive of Kate as her lover whilst being a fair and professional Headmistress with a star teacher called Kate McKenzie. As a result, just occasionally, topics were deferred for discussion in Caroline's office.

"No, it's nothing really, it's something I probably do two or three times," began Caroline, tucking her feet up underneath her as she settled more comfortably into the couch, working out what words to pick next.

"Talk to the Governors about me?"

"Yes." Not mentioning that it was two or three times a year seemed like a smart move.

"Caroline, I'm sorry, I never realised," began a now panicked Kate, only to be cut off by Caroline who suddenly understood Kate's misunderstanding.

"It has nothing to do with us, our relationship."

"It doesn't?"

"Nope. Sorry, I'm explaining this badly."

"You're sure?" Kate was biting her lip, not yet convinced her girlfriend wasn't just being nice.

"Yep, at least, I am now, maybe I wasn't totally certain the first time." Caroline winced at how clumsily she was expressing herself – she wasn't exactly succeeding in trying to reassure Kate with a simple, clear and concise explanation.

"Umm, ok?" Kate was totally confused by prepared to hear Caroline's explanation before she started majorly panicking again.

"Have you ever read the prospectus?" asked Caroline, finally working out where the start of this explanation was.

"Not recently, I mean, when I applied sure but since then? Should I?"

"No! I was just wondering if you remembered reading about the class size commitments, for A-Level and GCSE?"

"Umm, vaguely?"

"In the prospectus, we talk about how 'reasonable sized classes' and creating 'focussed learning groups' and other clap trap that's code for 'you're buying small class sizes so your kids don't have to fight for teacher attention," explained Caroline, clearly a bit jaded by education-industry jargon.

"Right, I remember that bit," confirmed Kate, remembering it was one of the many points that had encouraged her to apply for the job, "but then I think every teacher does…"

"Or should do," groused Caroline, momentarily distracted with the 'whinier' members of her staff room, prompting Kate to laugh again, "don't repeat that!"

"Repeat what?" asked Kate, feigning innocence, "so, prospectus promises of small class sizes…"

"Right. Although we never quantify to the parents how big is too big, the Board of Governors does. If GCSE class sizes get above 20, we have to split or stream, unless I want to overrule them, in which case I have to make my point to them and get their agreement," explained Caroline, wondering if Kate would make the connection.

"I had 22 for Italian GCSE three years ago."

"And I explained to an agreeable Board of Governors that my new modern languages teacher who had excellent references and a First in French and Italian from Cambridge would provide a better overall tuition experience for those 22 than if half were given to someone else who had less Italian." Caroline, reluctant to name names to Kate (as she had done to the Governors), hoped she'd managed to explain herself reasonably coherently.

"Oh. We weren't going out then," was all Kate could think to say, still rather overwhelmed with what Caroline had done so quickly after Kate's arrival at the school.

"No, but I think I was already smitten."

"Caroline!"

"I was patient, and we got there eventually," grumbled Caroline good-naturedly, knowing that there wouldn't have been anything change in their relationship any sooner as the boys would have been too young and her marriage too intact for her to have considered acknowledging what she was feeling enough to think about.

"What's the A-Level limit?" asked Kate, intrigued in spite of her better judgment – did she really want to know how many times Caroline had advocated in her favour in front of the Governors?

"8," whispered Caroline, wondering if Kate was going to be mad.

"You can't count too well," was all Kate said, knowing Caroline must have advocated in favour of larger class sizes for her at least seven times over the years.

"You're not mad?" Now it was Caroline's turn to be nervous.

"Why would I be mad?" Clearly, tonight was the night for Caroline to continually confuse Kate.

"Because I'm a wicked slave driver making you teach large classes?" asked Caroline with just a hint of bitterness, recalling some more challenging discussions with some teachers over the years on this topic.

"Because you're a good headmistress who cares about your students as much as your staff I'm supposed to be mad?" countered Kate, wishing she was able to reach out and touch Caroline and give her reassurance in person – for all her confidence and ability to reign supreme over the school, Caroline's doubts and demons were still not fully chased away, despite their joint efforts to chase them well away.

"How did we even get onto this?" asked Caroline, trying to change the subject before her emotions outstripped her resolve.

"Legitimising your freaky stalker knowledge about my marking," teased Kate, happy to lighten the tone although she mentally noted to try and steal a confidence boosting kiss during tomorrow.

"I can't help it if your margin notes are famous!"

"And now you're making me paranoid about my marking!" joked Kate, knowing her marking habits were too ingrained to be altered.

"But in a good, 'I'm famous for it' way."

"If you say so…" Kate didn't sound convinced.

"I do!" declared Caroline, laughing.

"Ok then, I'll be good paranoid," promised Kate, smiling at her girlfriend's antics.

"Good. Seriously, how is your marking going?"

"Okay – I should be done by midnight," said Kate, glancing at the clock which said a quarter to nine.

"Oh Kate…" Caroline glanced at her own watch and realised Kate had probably already done about three hours of marking and had the same again to do, "… and I've kept you chatting."

"Don't apologise, you've been perfect," corrected Kate before continuing, "I can't chop and change marking between languages as easily as I can in the classroom – you rang just as I'd finished all my French marking; I needed a break before starting on the Italian."

"Are you sure? Because I feel bad…"

"Don't – if you hadn't rung I'd probably have ended up watching crappy TV and you're far better company, not to mention this marking marathon is in a good, mutual cause."

"It is?" Caroline was intrigued, not least because it made her realise that Kate was far too experienced and skilled a teacher to regularly give herself such an unbalanced evening of marking that had to be done.

"I won't have any marking to do until Tuesday evening…"

"Tuesday as in Laurence doesn't get back from the rugby tour until Tuesday?"

"That's what I'd heard," teased Kate, knowing she'd have to end this phone call soon, for both their sakes otherwise not only would her marking not get done, but neither would Laurence have all his rugby kit sorted.

"They leave at lunchtime tomorrow…"

"Can you be packed by tomorrow morning?" asked Kate suddenly, an idea forming.

"I can be…" agreed Caroline, starting to mentally plan what she'd need.

"Stay? At mine?" asked Kate shyly, far more familiar with going and staying at Caroline's rather than hosting Caroline for the obvious reasons of Laurence and William (when he was home).

"And Monday?"

"If you like…" confirmed Kate, trying desperately to sound nonchalant.

"I'd love to," murmured Caroline, starting to feel giddy in anticipation of 5 consecutive nights with Kate, only for a shout to intrude their moment's peace. "Laurence is calling," she explained, half understanding her son's garbled question about gum shield as he thundered down the stairs from his room.

"Go solve his problems," encouraged Kate, resolutely picking up her red pen, ready to tackle 8T's attempts at understanding Italian verb tenses, something that really would be easier to teach in Italian if her colleagues in the English department could actually explain to the students what a verb tense was in English first.

"See you tomorrow?"

"I'll pop by your office after Laurence's tour has been waved off," said Kate, remembering a free period she had immediately after lunch.

"Not before?" asked Caroline, raising a hand in Laurence's direction to signal he could wait a moment before launching into his questions.

"You won't need me as a human handkerchief before."

"Brat!" Laurence's eyes went wide at hearing his mother call whoever she was on the phone with (he assumed either Kate or Granny, more likely Kate) that – he wasn't used to her being cheeky.

"But you love me…"

"Yes, I do," confirmed Caroline, trying not to blush in front of Laurence at how sappy she was being.

"Laurence there?" asked Kate perceptively.

"Yes."

"Wish him luck from me?"

"Will do," promised Caroline, knowing she really did have to go and solve Laurence's problems if she wanted any time to pack for her own adventures.

"Good night, love you," repeated Kate, reaching for her first test to mark, dreading what she was going to find.

"And you, night," said Caroline quickly, hanging up before she lost her nerve and started behaving like a teenager, waiting for Kate to be the first to hang up, before turning her attention to her son, "now, have you tried looking in the dishwasher for your gum shield?" only for him to turn on his heal and head for the kitchen – clearly, a mother's work, like a teacher's, was never done!

* * *

"Hello?" called out Kate, taking advantage of Beverley's absence from Caroline's outer office to manage to get into Caroline's office without having to decline the offer of a cup of tea.

"Hi." Caroline put down her pen and pushed back from her desk, giving her room to stand up and cross to meet her girlfriend half way across her office.

"How'd it go?" asked Kate, scrutinising her girlfriend's face for any evidence of hastily reapplied make-up.

"Fine – for both our sakes Laurence slumped down in his seat so I had no idea where he was and I delivered my classic 'it's about the taking part not the winning but please, please, please make sure you beat them all' 5 minute speech before waving them off from under an official school umbrella," summarised Caroline, reaching out for the edges of Kate's coat, intending to steal a kiss.

"We have official school umbrellas?" asked Kate, backing away from her advancing girlfriend.

"Only a few, and I'm only given one when they want to take photographs for the magazine or prospectus," groused Caroline, wondering why Kate wasn't making it easy for her to steal a kiss.

"No Beverley, no guard dog."

"I'm continually regretting having had a career-long policy of having an 'open-door' for staff and students that's now so bloody open I can't shove it shut occasionally so I can kiss you in my own office," grumbled Caroline before stepping back and perching on her desk, white knuckled hands gripping its edge.

"I'm not." Kate contradicted her statement by blatantly ogling Caroline's long legs that were now stretched out in front of her, complete with previously discussed 'fabulous' shoes.

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" asked Caroline, only for any attempt by Kate to respond to be interrupted by a notional knock on the already opening door that Kate could have sworn she shut behind her.

"Caroline, here's your tea, oh, Kate! Did you want a cup?" asked Beverley, Caroline's extremely efficient and totally unflappable secretary who's only real fault was a compulsion to offer everyone in Caroline's office a cup of tea.

"No thanks Beverley, I'm not stopping."

"Okay then, well, I'll be right outside," said Beverley, as she now always did when it was just Kate with Caroline which was, as far as Caroline could tell, the only acknowledgment or comment her secretary would ever make about their relationship.

"You were saying?" prompted Caroline, taking a sip of her tea whilst deliberately crossing her right leg over her left, enjoying how Kate was watching her.

"Right, yes, well," Kate consciously pulled her focus together and, paying close attention to Caroline's face explained, "I'm very glad you have spent your career with an 'open door' policy, because if you hadn't, not only do I think we wouldn't have been able to become friends in the first place, but I would now also be wondering who else you might have been spending time with in your office doing this," and, in two swift strides, Kate was right in front of Caroline who, having had the foresight to put down her tea mug, found herself rather effectively pinned to her own desk by a rather determined Kate who proceeded to embark on a thorough kiss that saw Caroline's shirt untucked as curious hands sought warm skin to caress and had Caroline quickly making some very interesting and, fortunately, quiet noises of pleasure.

"Wow."

"Sorry, I…"

"Wow, can we do that again?" asked Caroline, reaching up to caress Kate's cheek once her brain finally realised there wasn't actually anything stopping her moving her arms.

"I'm not sure it would be the same if you knew it was coming," observed Kate before whispering, "thank God you're quiet!"

"That was…" Caroline licked her slightly swollen, dry lips as she tried to find a word, inadvertently drawing to Kate's attention how bruising the passionate kiss had been.

"Sorry…" repeated Kate, looking nervous, not entirely sure what had come over her during that kiss.

"Absolutely unexpected and totally fabulous," decided Caroline, reaching out and pulling Kate in for a, by comparison, very tender and almost chaste kiss, "thank you."

"You're magnificent," declared Kate, bestowing her favourite and, in her own opinion, most perfect compliment on her lover, "I love you," earning her another gentle kiss from Caroline.

"And I love you, my wonderful, darling Kate," echoed Caroline, resting her forehead against Kate's, their entwined hands resting in Caroline's lap as, for a perfect moment their world was totally still except for their even, rhythmic breathing of shared air.

"You should tuck your shirt in," said Kate eventually, reluctantly pulling her head away from Caroline's when her neck started to protest.

"In a minute," agreed Caroline, not wanting to erase the last piece of tangible evidence of that kiss until she absolutely had to, "why have you got your coat on?"

"Because I'm popping home in my free period, since I have no marking to do," said Kate, taking half a step back to give Caroline just a little bit of space, "stopped by to see if you wanted me to take a bag over," she continued, shoving her twitchy hands in her coat pockets, trying desperately not to look round Caroline's office for evidence that Caroline had actually packed for their few nights away from her home in case the blonde had changed her mind.

"Do you mind?" Caroline pushed off her desk and moved towards the coat stand where two bags were waiting tidily.

"Wouldn't have offered if I didn't," came Kate's straightforward response as she considered the two bags with interest: why did Caroline need two?

"I packed separately, for the nights at yours and the nights in Oxford…" Caroline tried to conceal her own nervousness by methodically checking all the fastenings were secure on the bag she was going to give to Kate which also meant she had her back to her, "I was wondering if maybe, well, that is…" Caroline's flustered stuttering came to a half when she felt Kate's hands on her hips encouraging Caroline to straighten up from her crouched position.

"Close your eyes," whispered Kate, her voice soft in Caroline's ear, "take two deep breaths." Kate felt her hands rise and fall as Caroline followed her instructions, "and ask me what you want to ask, knowing I'll probably say yes."

"Can I leave the bag I don't take to Oxford at yours so I have some clean work clothes to wear when I stay over?" Caroline's eyes popped open the minute she'd finished her question, still surprised she'd found the courage to ask the question she'd realised she wanted to ask Kate since last night only she'd managed to do it with only tea and Kate as encouragement, rather than the large glass of wine she'd anticipated needing.

"Yes." Kate's easy agreement belied the butterflies in her stomach doing a spontaneous dance of joy, "I'll even make some space in the wardrobe for them," she teased, before pressing a warm kiss to Caroline's jawline which served as an excellent distraction for Caroline who therefore managed to not notice Kate efficiently tuck her shirt back into her skirt until the final shirt tail.

"How is it that I find you dressing me like a toddler arousing?" she asked as she reluctantly turned to face the now respectably distant Kate who looked seemingly unaffected by their intimate few minutes.

"Because I do too?" suggested Kate, reaching out to take the proffered suit bag.

"What time do you finish tonight?" asked Caroline, trying to re-establish her professional equilibrium ahead of her next appointment or interruption.

"I have choir practice until 5.30, how about you?"

"Department Heads until 5, I think…" Caroline frowned as she tried to remember her diary before giving up and asking, "do you want to come claim me when you're ready?"

"Sounds like a plan," and, with an easy smile that turned into a broad grin when Caroline blew her a kiss, Kate opened the office door and, with a polite "Dr Elliot's back on duty" directed to Beverley who immediately made a beeline for Caroline's office, set off to make the quick walk home to deposit Caroline's bag ahead of her last lesson of the afternoon, leaving Caroline to resume her endless war with school paperwork, fuelled by Beverley's cups of tea and the occasional daydream about a musical modern languages teacher and her kisses…


	4. Nourishing Conversations

"What can I do to help?" Caroline entered Kate's kitchen having finished hanging up her work clothes and generally putting the school day behind her. Gone were the 'fabulous' shoes and formal tailoring, replaced instead with thick socks, casual trousers and a cosy jumper – the whole outfit shouted 'relaxed and comfortable' and it always delighted Kate to see this side of the often formidable Dr Elliot.

"Keep me company?" Kate didn't break from her methodical chopping, "I thought pasta?" she continued, not too concerned if Caroline proposed something different as sliced onion, red and green peppers could be used for any number of dishes.

"Sounds perfect," Caroline confirmed her agreement by coming up behind Kate and slipping her arms around her waist, taking care not to do anything other than hold her girlfriend in a loose hug whilst there was chopping to be done – she'd already finished too many evening meals at home in A&E for a lifetime, "this okay for the company?" she asked, resting her chin on Kate's shoulder so she could watch.

"Fine," agreed Kate softly, relaxing into the embrace and relishing the calmness that was settling around them, helped by the gentle choral music playing quietly in the background – it was the perfect tonic to end their day with, free of the hustle and noise of Sulgrave Heath and its pupils.

Soon, Kate's heap of chopped vegetables was larger than the to be chopped heap and she was about to seek opinion on sauce flavourings when their comfortable peace was disturbed by a buzzing noise that also created a slight tickling sensation at her lower back. "Is that…"

"My mobile, probably the rugby tour," explained Caroline, pressing a kiss to Kate's neck (her excuse that Kate was finally no longer holding the knife) as she extracted the offending phone from her trouser pocket and, not releasing Kate from her now one-armed grasp, answered the call.

"Mark, hi." On hearing Caroline greet the sport's teacher by name, Kate released a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, having instinctively braced for their evening being ruined with bad news.

"Good, and everything's in order?" continued Caroline, clearly receiving good news in her update as she began to occupy herself with slipping the fingers of her unoccupied left hand between the buttons of Kate's shirt, her chin still resting on Kate's shoulder.

"They generally organise everything very well," Caroline's calm conversation gave no hint that her traitorous fingers were leisurely seeking out the soft, warm skin of Kate's stomach, clearly intent on providing some compensation for only being able to hold Kate in an one-armed embrace. Abandoning all notion of trying to continue her cooking preparation for the moment, Kate was more than content to let the warmth of Caroline's stroking fingers and gentle pressure of her body nestled against her back ensconce her like a blanket whilst Caroline fulfilled her headmistress' duty.

"If Laurence wants to talk to me, he'll ring me from his mobile," corrected Caroline kindly but firmly, the sport's teacher clearly having got his boundaries a little confused, prompting Kate to smile as Caroline continued, "but you might like to issue a general reminder to everyone that parents would probably appreciate a phone call or text and remind everyone that the staff mobiles are available for those who either don't have or have forgotten their own phones."

"Okay then, well, send me texts with the results please, and keep me informed about walking wounded," requested Caroline, smiling as she felt Kate slip her fingers up the baggy sleeve of Caroline's jumper to reciprocate the caress Kate was currently enjoying herself.

"Yes, I know it's a rugby tour Mark, but you have 35 pupils whose parents entrusted into MY care, a care I delegate to you and the staff accompanying you. If one of them gets injured in any way, I want to know so I don't get ambushed by an upset mother, is that understood?" Caroline's fingers stilled for a moment as she tried to keep her temper with her very good but still quite new sport's teacher who was on his first school tour for Sulgrave Heath.

"Good, well, wish the boys good luck with the first game tomorrow and you can enforce curfew in my name, save any of you being universally loathed before the fun really gets going," offered Caroline, extending the olive branch, even if it did seem to cause some confusion.

"Just tell the boys that my Tuesday afternoon is totally clear and that, if anyone is caught breaking curfews or lights outs set by you, I have plenty of appointments available for them to come and discuss with me individually how unfair the world is. I guarantee they'll behave," explained Caroline smugly, her fingers resuming their earlier circling pattern now that an 'entente cordiale' had been reached with her colleague again, giving Kate a second reason to smile, having initially struggled to smother a chuckle at Caroline's offer of her 'little chats' as a means of maintaining discipline.

"No problem Mark, thanks for the call, good luck in the first game."

"Night," and, with a sigh of relief at having got that chore over with, Caroline shoved the phone back in her pocket and resumed her earlier, two armed embrace of Kate, "sorry about that."

"Don't apologise, it was entertaining to listen to."

"We might get Laurence ringing in a minute," observed Caroline as she eyed up the assembled ingredients on the worktop, "Can I vote for stir fry, with noodles?"

"In a rush?" teased Kate, not disagreeing with Caroline's suggestion, having begun regret her initial suggestion of pasta.

"Quite the opposite but your couch has a habit of eating me," quipped Caroline, alluding to their running joke about how, once settled on Kate's couch they generally struggled to get moving around again although admittedly, it had little to do with the couch and everything to do with their reluctance to separate once comfortably entwined.

"Beef and black bean?"

"Delicious," agreed Caroline, her stomach rumbling in agreement, prompting Kate to laugh before reluctantly saying,

"You're going to have to let me go then," just as Caroline's phone started vibrating again, "talk to Laurence and I'll do the cooking," she encouraged, secretly enjoying how 'cuddly' Caroline had become over the months of their relationship and the steady healing of old hurts.

"Yes Boss!" Laughing, Caroline stepped away from Kate completely and extracted her phone again, confirming it was her younger son ringing her. "Hello…" she greeted warmly, in total contrast to her previous phone call.

"No, I'm at Kate's," explained Caroline, leaning against the kitchen doorframe so she could continue to pull silly faces at Kate but not be in her girlfriend's way as she started cooking their dinner in a large wok.

"Everything ok?" Caroline's voice coloured with concern – admittedly she hadn't explicitly told Laurence she would be staying at Kate's the nights he was away and she wasn't in Oxford but then he'd never previously shown any interest or worry about where she was on the nights he'd slept over at friends as long as she would answer her mobile if he rang.

"Ah, I see… do you want me to ask Kate?" offered Caroline, understanding Laurence's problem a little better now, giving Kate a little bit of warning that she might have to join in the one-sided conversation.

"Course you can, she's right here!" Caroline was already crossing the kitchen to offer the phone to her girlfriend, "he wants to talk to you, I'll finish the cooking," she volunteered, holding out her mobile phone in one hand and accepting the proffered wooden spatula in the other as, roles reversed, Kate took up the conversation, propped up against the doorframe, watching Caroline take over cooking.

"Laurence, hi."

"Ah, okay, what do you want to write it on?" Kate smiled in reassurance at Caroline once this was clearly a homework related question.

"Well, that is the last book you read," she agreed, shoving her free hand in her pocket as she relaxed against the doorframe, enjoying her evening despite the various interruptions.

"Why don't you start with a bit about what type of book it is and why you enjoy reading it before then writing about the actual details of the book?" Kate's suggestion was quickly followed by a frown as she considered Laurence's next question.

"I'm sure Mrs Connors meant the homework to be an opportunity for you to practice writing reviews rather than as a chance for her to be critical about what you read at home for fun," explained Kate, holding her hand up to forestall Caroline storming over to steal the phone.

"Yes, I'm sure, and if she marks it any differently we'll worry about that once you've got it back, okay?" promised Kate as much for Caroline's benefit as Laurence's.

"Okay then. So, do you know which words you want?" Kate crossed the kitchen to where she kept a pad for making shopping lists, detouring via the stove where she quickly gave Caroline a one armed hug intended to convey just a little reassurance that everything really was fine with Laurence and his English homework.

"Uh huh, uh huh, okay… no, you know how to spell that one, and that one," she chastised gently, before scribbling down a couple more, "okay, that's eight so far. Anymore?" Clearly Laurence couldn't think of any.

"Right. I might think of a couple whilst I'm eating, so don't be surprised if you end up with eleven or twelve…"

"No problem, now, I think your mum would like a proper chat with you whilst I finish making dinner." Kate reached out for Caroline who was clearly trying to not plot how to make Mrs Connors' life hell tomorrow morning.

"Good luck tomorrow, here's your Mum." Kate passed the phone to Caroline who, in exchange, handed off the spatula so that the stir fry cooking could continue.

"Problem solved?" asked Caroline of Laurence before quickly kissing Kate's cheek in thanks whilst she listened to Laurence explain his English homework and Kate's role in helping him.

"No, I think Kate's absolutely right – take the question at face value and write the book review and wait to see what grade and comments you get back."

"No, I will not growl at Mrs Connors tomorrow," laughed Caroline, amused at her son's behaviour, glad that between them, his nervousness about tackling his English homework is disappearing, replaced with a plan.

"Yes, she's cooking dinner…" the conversation was clearly shifting to an interrogation of their evening plans, "…stir fry. What did you have?"

"Sounds good – who are your dorm mates?" asked Caroline, noticing Kate adding the noodles which indicated she had only a few minutes until her own dinner was ready.

"Well, say hi to Sam from me…and you can say hi to James and Trey as well if you think they can cope with thinking of me as your mother and not scary Dr Elliot," teased Caroline, moving around Kate's kitchen extracting plates and cutlery.

"Okay, just Sam then," agreed Caroline, "where are they?" she asked, knowing her son probably wouldn't have felt comfortable discussing his homework with Kate in front of his friends.

"Ah, that was nice of Sam."

"I see." Kate gave up trying to follow the conversation between mother and son as Caroline's comments became increasingly unfathomable and instead concentrated finishing off the now cooked stir fry.

"Okay, well, Kate's just finished cooking so I should go too. Ring either of us whenever you want, as long as Mr Johnson hasn't told you to turn your phone off, okay?" instructed Caroline, instinctively qualifying her request so her mother's wish couldn't be misinterpreted as the headmistress overruling or contradicting her staff.

"Love you too, good luck tomorrow," and, on that positive note, she hung up the phone and put it next to Kate's on the side – duties done as headmistress and mother, she was now hoping for a quiet, interruption free evening as girlfriend and lover.

"He sounded happy…" began Kate, starting to dish up their dinner.

"I'm going to kill her."

"No, you're not," corrected Kate gently, pouring the last of the sauce over the plates, "at least, not until after she's shown herself to be narrow-minded, old fashioned and unsupportive of your son… then you can…" Kate's calm and rational plan was interrupted by Caroline's

"Kill her."

Responsibly and calmly tackle the issue, knowing that, in the short term, Laurence is continuing to be doing well," soothed Kate, pressing a reassuring kiss to Caroline's cheek and grabbing their plates, "…there's a bottle of white in the fridge."

"How are you so calm?"

"Practice?"

"Okay…" Caroline's confusion was evident as she joined Kate at the table which Kate had set for two much earlier in the evening, complete with softly flickering candlelight, "…this looks wonderful, thank you," acknowledged Caroline as she poured out the wine before following Kate's lead and sitting down.

"Joint honours on the cooking and homework helping?"

"To sharing," declared Caroline, raising her glass in toast but preferring to steal a quick kiss rather than clink glasses.

"To sharing," agreed Kate, taking a sip of wine whilst she watched Caroline dig into her dinner, "good?" she asked, only gradually getting back into the habit of cooking for someone, Caroline reigning supreme in her own kitchen most of the time.

"Excellent, now quit stalling!" instructed Caroline, emphasising her point by jabbing her fork in Kate's direction who, with a smile, took a deliberate bite of her own plateful of stir fry. Satisfied, at least that Kate was eating, Caroline let the comfortable silence grow for a few minutes whilst they both despatched their initial hunger pangs but she ultimately could only allay her curiosity for so long, "so, practice?"

"You remembered," stalled Kate, taking a sip of her wine.

"I've got quite good at listening…and I do pay attention."

"Umm, ok…"

"Kate…" Kate's unexpected nervousness at what Caroline had intended to be a reasonably innocent question concerned Caroline, "…I'm sorry…"

"No, it's fine, just, this is me having a moan as your girlfriend okay? No Dr Elliot?" asked Kate having quickly decided that she would 'have a moan', that they, as a couple, would be better off is she stopped bottling up this particular frustration as it was only going to reappear as time went on.

"99% girlfriend, and I promise to tell you exactly what Dr Elliot thinks and might want to do," countered Caroline, reaching across the table to take Kate's hand and start an automatic caress of Kate's knuckles with her thumb, knowing she couldn't completely separate her professional persona but understanding what Kate wanted from her right now, which was a girlfriend to moan to about whatever crap had come her way as a teacher.

"I've had far more practice dealing with the Josephine Connors of this world – they're in almost every school and are my least favourite type of teacher…" started Kate, smiling at Caroline's carefully schooled expression as she paid close attention to what Kate was saying but also how she was saying it, picking up on the tension creeping into the other woman's neck, "…they have become formulaic in their teaching and lost any ability to convey a passion for English and are so cynical about contemporary literature or alternative literature forms that I want to shake them until they admit to not having read anything that's age appropriate for their classes except what's on the set lists…oh, and I wish they'd get off their bloody high horses long enough to actually teach some basic techniques." Kate shrugged sheepishly at her slightly shell-shocked girlfriend, "…sorry, it's a pet moan, I shouldn't have…" she started to instinctively apologise, only for Caroline to cut her off with a question.

"Basic techniques?"

"Umm, grammatical rules and concepts for the younger classes, critical appraisal techniques for A-Level."

"Are those basic?" This discussion was beginning to make Caroline realise how, despite all her teaching experience, she actually didn't have that much comprehension of the practicalities of language and literature teaching.

"Yeah…" Kate paused to eat a mouthful of dinner and think how to explain her point to Caroline, "…you taught chemistry, moles and stuff?"

"Moles and stuff, yes," confirmed Caroline, smiling at Kate's generosity to her translating her point into Caroline's field.

"Okay, so it's mathematical right? Water is two hydrogen plus one oxygen and so on?" Caroline nodded, refraining from pointing out that example had nothing to do with moles, sensing that would be considered unhelpful, "did you ever have to teach your chemistry students how to do basic arithmetic before you did the chemistry bit?"

"No, of course not… by the time we did chemical equations or anything numerate on the general science courses, the maths department taught them how to add and multiply."

"Right, because anything else would be a waste of your time?" suggested Kate, grinning as she teased Caroline a little, having heard the implied 'that's what they're there for' that had gone unspoken.

"Basically, yes," confirmed Caroline, not taking offense.

"So I have to teach 13 year olds how to construct grammatically correct sentences in French using irregular verbs…"

"Je suis votre petite amie, vous etez ma petite amie?" suggested Caroline suddenly, using the only irregular verb she could ever remember being taught.

"Oui, show off." Despite the playful banter, Kate was impressed as she had already exhausted what little chemistry she could remember, "although I don't still think of me in only a formal way?"

"Definitely not," husked Caroline, belatedly remembering she could (and should) have said 'tu es ma petite amie' "but don't distract me, this is interesting…"

"…okay, so, I'm supposed to be teaching about French irregular verbs but, unless the Classics Department has beaten me to it, I'll end up spending most of the week explaining how to conjugate verbs and different verb tenses to them in English."

"That sucks." It was at moments like that that Caroline's vocabulary proved quite how much of her life was spent around teenagers.

"I think so."

"Is it any better in Italian?"

"Actually, yes," admitted Kate, smiling.

"No irregular verbs?" Caroline was taking her girlfriend's frustration seriously and tried to work out what might be the reason.

"More like they don't start Italian until after they've already been taught it in French!"

There was a pause whilst Caroline absorbed what Kate had just said.

"Brat!"

"Your face!"

"You're laughing at me."

"And you're pouting."

"Mmm… finished?" asked Caroline, pointing to Kate's empty plate.

"Dishwasher's loading," said Kate, getting up and setting about working with Caroline to quickly clean up the kitchen so that, with dinner behind them, and no school work ahead, they could enjoy each other's company.

"Couch?" suggested Caroline, holding up the two wine glasses and tipping her head in the general direction of Kate's sitting room.

"In a minute," said Kate simply, extracting the two glasses from Caroline's grasp and putting them safely on the kitchen worktop before wrapping her arms around Caroline's waist.

"Hello…"

"Mmm…" acknowledged Kate as she leaned in and gently kissed Caroline's lips once before pulling her head back just enough to say, "thanks for listening," only to then cut off any response Caroline might have wanted to make with more steady, tender kisses. When they eventually parted again, the only comment that came to mind for Caroline was,

"I didn't have to listen for that long!"

"No, but you did pout quite a bit…" pointed out Kate, amused when Caroline's instinctive response was to pout further, giving Kate another reason to kiss her girlfriend one final time, "…as lovely as my kitchen is, my couch and sitting room might be more comfortable?"

"In a minute…" It was now Caroline's turn to make them pause, "…can I be Dr Elliot for a moment please?"

"Okay." Kate let go of Caroline and took a step backwards, enabling her to lean against the worktop.

"How do I fix it?"

"Fix?"

"Fix the problems that means my modern language and classics teachers spend too much time teaching basic techniques I thought my English teachers covered."

"By making those techniques core curriculum that all three departments share responsibility for," explained Kate, taking a sip of her wine, watching Caroline wrestle with this freshly presented but long established conundrum.

"Okay…so, what? A four class programme taught in the first week of the academic year to all year 7s?"

"Something like that," agreed Kate, unsurprised at how quickly Caroline identified a solution.

"Right, I need to tell the Heads of Department I want this…what do I call it?" asked Caroline, respecting Kate's opinion completely.

"'Principles of Grammar' refresher? Stops the kids who do already know it from fighting us on their first day," suggested Kate pragmatically, remembering some of the 'challenges' the staff have to face every September when they start with a new batch of eleven year olds who, despite all passing the Entrance Exams, arrive with very different levels of actual knowledge and can take some time to settle into Sulgrave Heath.

"Okay, so Dr Elliot has a question to ask…how do I know to ask the question?" Although it was Caroline's final question it was, in many ways, the most important to her as the last thing she wanted to do was expose Kate to any unpleasantness with her fellow teachers because of their relationship.

"Read this week's TES."

"Really?"

"Really, it's why I was so grumpy, I read it this afternoon so I was already…"

"Riled?"

"Informed," corrected Kate gently, pleased to see Caroline grin.

"Brilliant, now…" and, taking a leaf from Kate's book and deliberately ogling her girlfriend's long legs, Caroline quickly abandoned any further thoughts about education best practices in favour of, "…fancy making out like teenagers?"

"Shit!"

"Okay, not the reaction I was aiming for," admitted Caroline, slumping against the wall.

"Laurence – I forgot to text him his words!"

"Ah, good point," agreed Caroline, remembering now why they'd even been talking about grammar tuition in the first place, "are you sure I can't kill Josephine Connors?"

"Not until after she's put her foot in it and shot her mouth off about Laurence writing his book report on Asterix, and only if you let me help," Kate was perfectly serious as she discovered her mobile phone was stubbornly claiming to have no battery life.

"Here, use mine," suggested Caroline, pointing to her phone which was next to Kate's on the side, "unless you want me to do it?" asked Caroline politely, knowing she had no real hope of being able to text without her glasses, not to mention not knowing how to spell most of the words Laurence probably wanted, with his discovery of Asterix down to Kate.

"You can spell Abraracourcix?"

"He's writing about the French version?" asked Caroline, finding it hard to picture his English teacher's reaction, "and he didn't technically read that one on his own," she pointed out, remembering the wet Saturday afternoon when Kate had helped him untangle the 'same but different' French original.

"No, but he wanted to include a couple of the French character names as part of his general introduction about Asterix as he didn't think Mrs Connors would have read them," explained Kate as she typed out the text, taking care to avoid the autocorrect suggestions as that rather defeated the point of her giving Laurence the correct spellings of the more unusual words he wanted to use in his book report.

"Smart boy… did I ever thank you for this?"

"Umm, sure, when I handed the phone to you…"

"No, I mean, helping him with the whole reading and dyslexia situation," Caroline's awkwardness was returning as familiar doubts about her capabilities as a mother began to resurface, fuelled Kate knew, but some of the bitter barbs John was throwing at her through the divorce.

"Frequently, and I will continue to promise you I would have helped him in almost exactly the same way if he'd been in one of my classes and I wasn't in love with his mother," reminded Kate kindly, used to Caroline's uncertainty.

"Almost?"

"If he'd been just another kid in class I'd have written to you, as his mother, suggesting that graphic novels or comics like Asterix or Tintin might be a good starting point to help boys like Laurence stay engaged with the written word long enough to start to understand and work with their dyslexia rather than fighting it all the time… I wouldn't have sat with you both on Saturday afternoons and helped him with his homework."

"And I will continue to thank you and love you for it," confirmed Caroline, resuming her earlier position of hugging Kate from behind so she could see what Kate was texting, or would be able to if she had her reading glasses on.

"Want to add something?" asked Kate when she was satisfied that, despite the wonderful distraction of Caroline's body pressed up against her back, she'd not made any spelling mistakes in her text.

"You'll have to read it to me, my glasses are upstairs," husked Caroline, starting to become distracted now she had Kate in her arms.

"Laurence, words as requested:

Asterix

Obelix

Gluteus Maximus

Legionnaire

Vitalstatistix/Abraracourcix/a bras raccourcis

Caesar

Few more from me:

Laurel (no excuses not to learn this one, it's like your name)

Wreath

Rene Goscinny (writer)

Albert Uderzo (artist)."

"Mmmm, you're sexy when you speak French…" murmured Caroline, completely distracted.

"Caroline, focus," encouraged Kate, "…I don't think you want me to send that to your son!"

"Mum says… don't think about Mrs Connors' opinion, good luck in the match tomorrow and don't stay up all night telling jokes about your brother," decided Caroline eventually, trusting Kate to faithfully transcribe or even improve on it.

"Added a 'love you."

"He'll blush," observed Caroline, not disagreeing but now definitely more interested in kissing Kate's neck than pretty much anything else.

"Just like his Mum," stuttered Kate, managing to press send and put the phone aside just as Caroline's curious fingers managed to get past her belt and start exploring under her clothes.

"But I'm not a teenage boy…"

"Thank God," confirmed Kate, gathering enough of her wits to press her hands over Caroline's, stopping them in their exploration, "wanna skip the couch?"

"God yes…" and, with wanton disregard for lights that would shock them in the morning (they'd already locked the doors and extinguished the candles) they headed, still wrapped around each other, upstairs to Kate's bedroom for the very best kind of early night.


	5. Travelling without Translation

"Kate, thank heavens."

"Hello Beverley," greeted Kate, stopping in Caroline's outer office to talk to her girlfriend's secretary who, if the greeting was any indication, was finding Caroline a bit hard work this afternoon.

"She's been running late all afternoon and threatened expulsion for the next pupil that delayed her."

"I see. How late is late?" asked Kate, trying not to smirk as she eyed her girlfriend's office door with interest.

"She finally finished her meeting with the Bursar about ten minutes ago," explained Beverley as they both instinctively eyed the clock on the wall that showed the current time was 3.42 pm, "he was supposed to be done by 2.45pm but there was an incident…"

"I heard. Do you want me to…?" Kate left the specifics of her question unspoken since, if she was strictly honest, she wasn't exactly sure what she was offering to do.

"Brave the lioness' den? Let me give her a warning so she doesn't expel you by accident," joked Beverley, pressing the intercom button, "Caroline?"

"Expulsion! I warned you!" came the immediate response from a rather tinny sounding Caroline.

"I'm sending Kate in," said Beverley simply, giving Caroline no opportunity to argue as she cut the intercom line, "all yours Kate, I'll stand guard."

"Thanks, I think…" and, with a quick grin in Beverley's direction that was meant to convey gratitude at the support from outside the door, Kate slipped into Caroline's office and shut the door firmly behind her.

"I know, I know, I'm horribly late…" began Caroline, currently standing in the middle of her office, heels kicked off, shirt untucked and sleeves rolled up as, with her back to the door, she was evidently trying to sort out half a dozen things at once, "…and you're here so we can leave and I'm not ready…" she continued, holding up a paper to stare at quizzically as she tried to decide if it could wait until Monday or, more realistically, Tuesday to read when "…ooof!" she exclaimed as two cold hands slipped around her waist and under her shirt.

"Relax…" encouraged Kate, knowing she wasn't going to be listened to, so trying to reinforce her message with an open mouthed kiss pressed to the nape of Caroline's neck.

"But I'm late and the train and…" continued a clearly crestfallen Caroline who was starting to look forlornly at her desk even as she did instinctively reach to wrap her arms over Kate's and lean back into Kate.

"We have time…" murmured Kate, punctuating her opinion with a gentle nip of a kiss to Caroline's ear, her now warmer hands not moving from Caroline's waist.

"…the weekend was supposed to be a break…" continued Caroline, only to realise that, rather than listening to her panicking, Kate was actually rather absorbed in kissing her neck which, as Kate knew far too well, was one of Caroline's weak points and would quickly see the blonde reduced to a pliable puddle of goo, "…the taxi…" sighed Caroline eventually, starting to turn around in Kate's embrace so that she could at least look at her girlfriend if not reciprocate some of the actual kissing.

"Is not coming until 4.15…" explained Kate gently, relaxing her grip on Caroline's waist enough to let the blonde turn around so they were facing each other.

"But…" Frowning, Caroline recalled what she'd remembered of their discussion about their travel arrangements which, in a division of tasks, Kate had organised.

"You volunteered that you'd asked Beverley to keep your afternoon clear past a quarter to three so you thought you could be ready by 3.30," started Kate, seeing a look of comprehension start to appear on Caroline's face, followed quickly by another frown.

"And I assumed, didn't I? I never asked…"

"Nope."

"Oh Kate, I'm sorry…" apologised Caroline, dropping her head forwards in despair as she realised she'd been so selfish, prompting Kate to reach up and gently coax her girlfriend to look up at her.

"Don't be – if it had mattered I'd have told you," explained Kate easily and genuinely, completely relaxed as, from her perspective, it was a perfectly easy and straightforward mistake to have made. "What matters now is that you've got 10 minutes to calmly sort your desk and briefcase and twenty to change before we finally get the taxi to the station."

"I don't need twenty minutes to put on jeans," protested Caroline, already starting to pull out of Kate's grasp in order to start quickly and methodically sorting through the papers on her desk into two piles, one for leaving behind until next week and one, much smaller pile that she'd reluctantly but dutifully take to work through on the train, "five is plenty!"

"Which gives me fifteen to help you take that skirt and shirt off!"

"We are not having sex in this office!" declared Caroline firmly, turning round to look at her relaxed and amused lover who was now leaning against the bookcase, "at least, not in the next twenty minutes," she amended, suddenly finding her mouth dry as her traitorous brain provided some rather enticing images from their early night the night before.

"Good to know, eight minutes," reminded Kate, enjoying the flirting but keeping a close eye on the time nonetheless.

"Slave driver," groused Caroline, obediently resuming her desk tidying, "can you grab my gown please?"

"Sure… William text?" asked Kate as she grabbed the academic gown from the coat stand and started the battle to fold it into something vaguely neat and square.

"Yes – apparently someone has reminded the Senior Tutor about me and so William was summoned this morning to have the Ordinances explained to him. Since I don't want some young upstart playing head teacher," Kate wisely refrained from laughing at the unnoticed irony of that statement, "and making a name for themselves by fining William, I'll give in and wear my gown in Chapel on Sunday, seeing as I've got it already," explained Caroline, absent-mindedly giving three mental cheers for Kate's happy acceptance of the quirks and conventions of her old university (not that Cambridge was any less quirky or arcane), unlike her very almost ex-husband who would have made it his moan of the weekend.

"Hood?"

"Let's go with no," decided Caroline, picking up her sorted stack of reading that really, really had to be done over the weekend and turning to face Kate.

"Anything else?"

"Nope, just need to put this in my bag and get changed." Seeing the quirked eyebrow and delighted smirk on her girlfriend's face, Caroline quickly qualified her plan, "and no, you're not helping!"

"But…" Kate attempted to look innocent.

"Nope! Go, sit over there and keep your hands to yourself!" instructed Caroline, pointing to her desk chair, entertained by Kate's good humoured mock anguish, "meaning don't mess up my papers," amended Caroline, belatedly realising how a mischievous Kate could have interpreted her instruction.

"I'll be good," laughed Kate, obediently sitting in Caroline's desk chair and perfectly content to make small talk whilst Caroline changed, although she made no attempt to conceal her enjoyment of the free show she was getting.

"What time's the train?" asked Caroline, realising that, under Kate's unabashed and almost wolfish scrutiny, maybe she was going to be the one having a challenge keeping her hands to herself.

"From Harrogate? 4.45 – we should miss the kids."

"On a Friday? Hopefully – I've had enough of the little blighters this week to last me a month."

"I heard."

"News travels fast."

"Actually no. I was teaching 7T next door."

"Oh, sorry." Caroline winced at the memory – it wasn't the highlight of her week, not least because it was going to give her an almighty mess to fix, next week.

"I don't know – it was rather impressive, even from next door. What actually happened?" asked Kate, curious to know what hideousness had befallen one of her colleagues.

"Romeo and Juliet decided to do a rather more literal re-enactment of love's young dream than even Shakespeare had intended, certainly for 2.30 on a Friday afternoon," summarised Caroline, her voice slightly muffled as she pulled her top down over her head, the shirt long since discarded.

"Explains the cat calls and wolf-whistles then; who was Juliet?"

"Tamara Randall."

"Let me guess, Romeo was Jackson Brough?"

"Bingo, how'd you know?"

"I'm the lucky one who keeps catching them in the organ loft."

"Of course! Well, I'm seeing their parents on Wednesday morning."

"Do they know that yet?"

"Who, the parents? Yes – Beverley made the appointments earlier."

"No, Jackson and Tamara."

"I do believe they had already been sent home for the afternoon by the time the details of the appointments were confirmed," said Caroline sweetly, pulling on her boots.

"You're occasionally very, very evil… how'd you get them to stop?" asked Kate, intrigued, having had to concentrate too closely on maintaining order in her own classroom of eleven year olds to be able to then pay any further attention to what was happening next door.

"Apparently, my mere presence is enough to douse any thoughts of passion," started Caroline, only to laugh when she saw Kate vigorously shaking her head, "if you are a room full of cat calling teenagers that is, as the crowd fell silent. After that, a simple 'When you have a moment, Miss Randall and Mr Brough?' served to separate the young lovers."

"You really are magnificent," laughed Kate, getting to her feet now Caroline was changed and most distractions were once more out of sight and reach.

"Smooth talker…you ready to go?" checking she'd got everything she wanted in her handbag.

"I'm ready if you're ready," observed Kate, resisting the urge to point out it had been Caroline they'd been waiting for.

"In which case, shall we?" suggested Caroline, putting her black coat on, ready to head out of her office, clearly eager to start their weekend.

"In a minute."

"Okay…" Caroline recognised the look in Kate's eye as she reached out to put her arms around Caroline's waist, a move Caroline immediate mirrored.

"Hello."

"Hi." Caroline's lips instinctively parted as their foreheads brushed against each other before, in a now familiar and well-choreographed move, they tipped their heads in opposite directions enabling lips to gently meet in a slow, loving kiss.

"Ready to go catch a train or two?" asked Kate when their lips parted.

"I'm sorry I was late and stressed."

"Probably need to apologise to Beverley not me," pointed out Kate reasonably, not letting go of Caroline's waist, "for someone who likes plans, you do run late rather a lot," the teasing was kind and familiar, bringing a tentative smile to Caroline's face.

"Not my fault."

"Whose class was it?" Kate had meant to ask earlier but Caroline's choice of underwear had distracted her.

"When?" Kate wasn't the only one easily distracted.

"Romeo snogged Juliet?"

"You'll not believe me."

"Who?"

"Josephine Connors." It was cruel to laugh at a fellow teacher's misfortunes but, after the anguish she caused for Laurence, Kate was actually quite amused at how many missteps the English teacher was seemingly making at the moment.

"Forgotten anything?" asked Kate when she'd stopped laughing.

"Nothing important."

"How'd you know?"

"Because…" Caroline punctuated her explanation with another kiss in between each of her list of points, "…Laurence is away…my mother knows how to contact me…Alan has promised to stop her contacting me unless it's a real emergency…I'm going to visit William…and…you're going to be right there with me…for the whole weekend."

"Okay then," and, with another quick kiss (they really were rather nice), Kate stepped back, breaking their embrace in order to pick up her coat and bags, actions Caroline mirrored before, when they were both finally sorted, she opened her office door.

"Taxi's just arrived, have a great weekend."

"Thank you Beverley, and I'm sorry for being a brat earlier – have a good weekend," encouraged Caroline, just managing to stop herself reaching to take Kate's hand when she remembered it was still only just past 4 and there were still a fair few students about. Whilst it probably wouldn't undermine her position as Headmistress if a few students saw her holding hands with her girlfriend (because yes, she was that scary), Kate's authority was harder to maintain, with, as the afternoon's incident had shown, disorder only being a few seconds away from every teacher's classroom given enough unruly teenagers, and to provide extra ammunition for the little brats really wasn't fair of Caroline.

"See you both Monday, no need to apologise, you didn't actually expel anyone," and, with a final smile and goodbye from Kate to Beverley, the two teachers set off to start their journey down to Oxford, both looking forward to their weekend's break and opportunity to see William again.

* * *

Apart from the occasional flash of bright light as the train rushed through a station, the world beyond the window could have been anywhere and the rest of the first class carriage could have been filled with an entire class of Sulgrave Heath (as opposed to the four business travellers and three grandparents it actually contained) and Caroline still wouldn't have been distracted from studying her girlfriend. Kate's suggestion of travelling by train to Oxford had turned out to be particularly brilliant as, despite technically taking a bit longer than driving would have done, it had created a stress free start to their weekend away, with the train 'taking the strain' exactly as the adverts had once promised. Now, two hours into the journey from Harrogate to Oxford, Caroline had tackled most of her work and was beginning to feel their weekend starting. Just as she was about to start squinting to try and bring whatever Kate was reading into focus, not so curious as to be bothered to reach for her reading glasses, she felt a tickle on her right ankle.

"Hey!" she protested quietly, poking Kate gently in the leg with her other foot which had been comfortably resting in Kate's lap ever since Caroline had accidentally kicked Kate in the shin for the fifth time, a kick that had prompted Kate to encourage the blonde to kick off her shoes and stretch her legs out properly, Kate's fingers soon tracing random patterns on them.

"You're staring," said Kate, seemingly engrossed in whatever it was she was reading.

"Nope, studying."

"Okay…" In spite of her attempts to ignore her, Kate really couldn't maintain the pretence of reading her book, so put it down on the table between them, meaning quite coincidentally, that she now had two hands free and in need of occupying, "…what you studying?"

"This very pretty woman."

"Oh?" amused, Kate went along with Caroline's playful mood as she instinctively started to work her organist's strong fingers into the arch of the right foot resting in her lap.

"Mmm, amazing she is, and pretty…" continued Caroline, enjoying the unexpected treat of a foot rub.

"So she's pretty amazing huh?"

"Well, that too, but she is amazing and it would be really great if she could learn to accept the fact that she's gorgeous." As Caroline expected, Kate looked down at the table for a split second when she heard the compliment, "…but in the meantime her girlfriend will have to just keep telling her how wonderful she is."

"Caroline…" protested Kate, finding her girlfriend's unexpected spontaneity in what was technically a public place a touch overwhelming.

"What are you reading?" Caroline changed the subject quickly, not wanting to make Kate any more uncomfortable.

"Proust."

"Seriously, what are you reading?" joked Caroline, unable to see the book name clearly on the spine and finding the book's plain burgundy cover singularly uninformative.

"Seriously, Proust," repeated Kate, smiling as Caroline reached forward and, taking care to mark Kate's place with her finger, picked up the clearly well-used book and put on her glasses so she could look at it.

"You really are reading Proust…" agreed an amazed Caroline as she looked at the title page before turning to look at the page Kate had got to, "…and it's in French." Shaking her head in amazement, she held the book in her lap and, peering over her glasses remarked, "my 19 year old self is so jealous of me right now."

"She is? Why?" Kate wasn't entirely following Caroline's reasoning, but it was very entertaining and somehow, an entirely appropriate conversation to be having in the nearly deserted railway carriage.

"Because I'm on a train, going to Oxford, travelling with my amazingly pretty and pretty amazing girlfriend who's reading Proust, in French, for fun…and it's not even volume one!"

"And that was your girlfriend fantasy when you were a student?" Kate was trying, really trying, not to laugh.

"Well, and a college scarf," shrugged Caroline, returning Kate's book carefully to the table, "what's so funny about that?" she asked, tossing her glasses down next to the book.

"Nothing," gasped Kate, finally losing her battle with the giggles so, unable to look at Caroline's ridiculously good poker face, she distracted herself by putting on Caroline's reading glasses, pushing them right up onto the bridge of her nose, "…God you're blind!" she exclaimed uncharitably, before starting to try and dig herself out of the hole she'd dumped herself in, "…I mean…"

"Do I really look at people like that?" Caroline was not in the least bit offended but instead a mixture of amusement and horror coloured her tone as she saw Kate staring wide-eyed at the world.

"What? No, more like this…" teased Kate, pulling the glasses down nearer the tip of her nose and peering over them, although the lack of a fringe did slightly alter the effect.

"God you look good in glasses…" Caroline almost looked regretful when Kate took them off, the strong prescription in danger of giving her a headache.

"Haven't you got some work to do?" asked Kate, resuming her earlier impromptu foot rub, recognising Caroline's reluctance to focus on anything else.

"Nope, done it all."

"Really? I'm impressed," either that, thought Kate, or she'd be listening to Caroline complain at how much she'd left herself to work through on Monday.

"I always was a good student," preened Caroline lightly, only just resisting the urge to stick her tongue out to emphasise her point.

"I can imagine," and Kate could, all too easily, picture a younger version of Caroline courtesy of Celia's photograph albums which had appeared one Sunday, much to Kate's delight, Laurence's amusement and Caroline's mortification.

"You were probably always in the library?"

"Not always, I spent a fair bit of time in the Chapel."

"Oh?" Caroline hadn't ever been particularly interested in organised religion although she ticked the Church of England box every time she was asked and sang all the hymns in assembly; she was reasonably confident Kate wasn't that different.

"Organ practice – kind of hard to do without the actual organ."

"Ah. Will you play for me sometime?"

"You hear me play all the time," observed Kate, thinking of all the school events she'd played the organ for.

"It's not the same," corrected Caroline, the steady rhythm of the train and Kate's hands starting to make her drowsy.

"Tired?" Kate's hands stilled as she took in the, in her biased opinion, rather adorable sight of a 'dopey Caroline'.

"Hmm, a little," agreed Caroline, clearly fighting her body's wish for a nap.

"Have a nap then," encouraged Kate, gently shoving Caroline's feet off her lap, knowing Caroline had been up very late on Wednesday night getting both herself and Laurence ready for their weekends and last night, whilst they went to bed early, hadn't exactly been restful but was very relaxing.

"No, I don't, I mean…" Caroline knew from how whiney she was starting to sound that she probably should have a nap but she'd never really managed to comfortably sleep on trains or planes and whatever small benefit she might gain from the nap would be majorly offset by her sore neck bringing on a headache.

"Here," said Kate suddenly, gently tossing her scarf (cashmere/silk blend in a dark green rather than scratchy striped college style) at Caroline before she took advantage of the near deserted carriage and moved from her seat opposite Caroline to the empty one next year, "…snuggle up and snooze," she encouraged, holding up her arm so that, as they so often did when spending an evening watching TV with Laurence, Caroline could tuck herself up against Kate's side, using the amiable linguist as a pillow.

"Mmm, thank you," said Caroline drowsily, almost asleep as she shuffled into a comfortable position.

"Comfy?"

"Mmm…" and, just like that, the exhausted Headmistress was asleep, leaving Kate to, after a moment of thoughtfully scrutiny, return to her novel, her girlfriend asleep in her arms.

"Sleep well," she whispered as she turned back to her page, Caroline unwittingly now fulfilling Kate's student girlfriend train-travel fantasy…


	6. Night & Day

"You okay?" asked Kate quietly as they waited for the lift to arrive.

"Yes…" Caroline sighed and, as the doors opened, stepped to the side to allow the couple in the lift to exit before stepping into the lift and leaning against the wall as Kate pressed the button for their floor, "…I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"Because…" Frowning, Caroline got no further – she didn't know what she was about to apologise for, but instinct from years of marriage and being frequently in the same room as her fuss loathing mother had made it an instinctive response.

"The way I see it," started Kate conversationally, desperately hoping she'd pick the right words to lift her dejected lover who was amassing an unfortunate track record when it came to trying to organise things, "you were brilliant and have nothing to apologise for," unlike the hotel staff, though Kate who, if she got a moment, she would be having words with at some point.

"I wanted it to be special…" continued Caroline as the lift doors opened and they set off down the corridor to find their room.

"And it is… a whole weekend with you and no school stuff is pretty special to begin with, nevermind seeing William sing and getting to sleep in, in a luxurious hotel…" reassured Kate as they came to a halt outside their room door, "…now, do you want to continue with your surprise, Dr Elliot?" asked Kate as she held out the keycard to Caroline, "I'll even close my eyes if you'd like?" she joked, pleased to see her childish excitement at Caroline's surprise was starting to infect the blonde just a little.

"Do I trust you not to peek?" mused Caroline as she stepped close to Kate, uninterested for the moment in unlocking the door and seemingly far more interested in getting Kate backed up against the wall just next to the door.

"I could promise…" started Kate, only to be cut off by Caroline's lips as the blonde dipped her head forwards and stole a kiss that rapidly escalated, fuelled by Caroline's lingering adrenalin from the discord at check-in, fuelled by Kate's need to communicate to Caroline how proud and protected Caroline had made her feel, fuelled by their shared love for each other. Eventually however, they had to end the kiss, leaving Kate leaning somewhat breathlessly against the wall, "…or I could just wait here, enjoying the corridor," she joked, still slightly dazed from that kiss.

"Ha!" smirked Caroline, tucking a stray strand of hair gently behind Kate's ear, suddenly realising she'd effectively got payback for some of Kate's recent 'mega-kisses' that had left Caroline a jelly-legged wreck in her office on more than one occasion, "…catch your breath," she encouraged before efficiently opening the bedroom door and taking their bags inside where, to her relief, everything was perfect.

"Kate?" she called, sticking her head back out into the corridor, only to see her lover still slumped against the wall, "come here," she beckoned, holding out her hand whilst she quickly grabbed the 'Do Not Disturb' sign and put it over the doorknob.

"Hello…" whispered Kate, feet stuck firmly in the open doorway, eyes locked on her girlfriend, not remotely interested in whatever delights might be in store – it all was superfluous as long as she had Caroline.

"I…" Caroline tugged Kate forward, pulling her fully into the room so that she could let the door close, shutting out the rest of the world, "…I still don't know how normal people do relationships with other people…" her eyes locked with Kate's as she tried to convey what she felt with a language more fundamental and basic than words, "…and I know I still make mistakes and assumptions and get things very, very wrong…" she reached out and gently brushed a finger across Kate's parting lips when she sensed she was about to protest, "…still get things wrong," she repeated, smiling, "…but I've learned so much, from Alan and my mother and the boys…but most of all I've learned so much from you, you darling wonderful person who's borne the brunt of most of my assumptions…coped with most of my mistakes…made me understand I'm not too old to learn, made me want to learn…" Caroline paused to catch the errant tear escaping down Kate's cheek, ignoring the little bit of moisture gathering in her own eyes, "…I have never been in love with anyone as much as I am today, with you, and I know that tomorrow will be even better because every tomorrow is always even better than the day before, and that has nothing to do with William," she qualified suddenly, worried in case Kate missed her point, "…all those songs about falling in love every day, falling deeper in love every time you see someone? I get it now, because that's what I'm feeling now, with you…and I know I don't always say or do the things that help you see that, but I hope, well, I hope you can remember that and believe it."

Caroline's thumbs couldn't keep up with the tears escaping from Kate's eyes now, nor could she ignore her own tears but she had one final thing she wanted to add, "…it's not very romantic, having a girlfriend who's got a mother, two teenagers and a petulant soon-to-be-very-ex-husband that keep appearing in the relationship but I love you so much for being with me for all of it, for being there for the boys on terms that you and they have made, together… I love you for being part of all my lives, even if it isn't always flowers and romance and so, just once, I wanted to, well, more than once because you deserve it every day…" Caroline stopped herself once she realised she was rambling and, taking a calming breathe, smiled through her tears and said,

"I wanted to give you romance," and, dropping her hand to Kate's hip, stepped aside to enable Kate to see the room, although she didn't stop looking at Kate, wanting to see what she hoped was a welcome reaction.

"Caroline, I…" Still tearful and rather overwhelmed by Caroline's unexpected speech, Kate didn't know what to say, instead sticking in Caroline's half embrace, eyes locked with her girlfriend's watery blue ones, unwilling and unable to turn away to take in whatever the surprise was. Finally though, after a long moment, words started tumbling out, "…I love you in every way… I love the daughter in you, love the mother in you, love the teacher and scholar in you… I love all of you and feel loved by you every day…I even love your mistakes and assumptions…" she teased, putting her finger to Caroline's lips so she wasn't interrupted, "…sshh, it's my turn to embarrass you… I do love your mistakes and assumptions because they're part of you and us and I even love your mother, in a way…" acknowledged Kate, knowing Caroline would smile at the next bit, "…she's far from perfect but I've learnt to find her entertaining…but most of all, I love that you don't realise how romantic you are, every day." Seeing Caroline's frown, Kate anticipated her question, "…and no, I'm not going to explain in detail because it's enough for you to know that you, being you, as you are, in all your roles, at the same time as always being in love with me, that's what's romantic…" Kate paused to see if her cumbersome explanation of something that just 'was' for her had made any sort of sense to Caroline.

"You find pasta dinner in the kitchen with Laurence romantic?"

"It has a certain charm," agreed Kate, smiling when she realised Caroline was starting to get what she meant – it was the fact that Kate was entwined throughout Caroline's life, all areas and aspects of that life and as a result included in everything, that everything for the Elliot family now also included noisy phone calls to Kate's grandmother in Nigeria (she was 93 and deaf) and visits to her father in the hospice and DVDs with subtitles…

"I think your grandmother is prouder of William than we are," commented Caroline, starting to grin as she remembered the long letter they'd received from the proud elderly lady in response to the last set of photographs they'd sent to her.

"I love you." Kate confirmed her statement with another kiss, a gentle, quiet kiss that spoke of commitment and connection, conveyed peace not passion, promised tomorrow's love as it confirmed today's and remembered yesterday's.

"Mmm, and I love you, thank you," whispered Caroline when they eventually separated just enough to breathe, just enough for Kate to turn her head.

"Wow, Caroline!"

"Surprise?"

"Surprise, of the most romantic sort," agreed Kate, pulling Caroline into an even closer embrace as she took in the four poster bed (an unrealised childhood fantasy confessed to one dark winter's evening whilst watching television), gorgeous bouquet of parrot tulips (her favourite flower after old fashioned English roses, revealed one rare summer afternoon when they were sitting out in Caroline's garden enjoying the sunshine) and a wine bucket containing a bottle of white wine (champagne didn't like her all that much, which Caroline had discovered at New Year's, much to Kate's embarrassment).

As she locked eyes with Caroline once again, there really was only one thing left to say, "…you're magnificent…" before they both abandoned any further attempts at expressing their feelings verbally and concentrated instead on showing each other exactly how much love they shared.

* * *

_From her comfortable vantage point, the view of the plantations and forest gave way to clear turquoise sea and a gentle breeze was tickling her shoulder and hair, helping to lull her into a sleepy, relaxed mood, further encouraged by the rumble and shake of the ground…of the ground? That wasn't supposed to be part of this Caribbean vacation, wait…_

On that rather irritatingly rational conclusion, Caroline shifted from being mainly asleep to being very awake, a change in circumstance that helped her to realise the 'gentle breeze' was actually Kate's fingers tracing random patterns on her bare shoulder and the ground's 'rumble and shake' was the sound of Kate's voice as she spoke quietly on her mobile phone, her chest (which was Caroline's pillow) rising and falling as she did so. Not quite fully awake, Caroline was happy to stay quietly snuggled up against Kate until it became clear who Kate was talking to, which, as it happened, didn't take long.

"But Celia…" protested Kate, clearly trying and failing to get a word in edgeways, a comment which not only made it clear to Caroline who was ruining their morning at – she craned her neck a little so she could just make out the illuminated clock on the TV – 8.17am but it also confirmed how she was going to solve the problem.

* * *

Just as he closed the front door, Alan felt the mobile phone vibrate a split second before it began to ring, loudly.

"Hello?"

"Alan, hi…"

"Caroline! This is a surprise." Holding the phone in one hand, he carefully navigated the hall and headed to the kitchen where he could hear Celia also talking on the phone, needing now to put the papers and milk down before he could take his coat off.

"Isn't it just."

"I thought you were away, visiting William?" He made polite conversation as he deposited his shopping on the kitchen table, Celia oblivious to him as she continued mid-conversation with someone, before he headed back to the hall to hang up his coat.

"We are," said Caroline through what sounded like gritted teeth, worrying Alan.

"Everything okay love? Your Mam's on the phone."

"Oh, everything's delightful – the hotel's luxurious, the bed's a four poster and the sheets are sinful."

"Sounds very romantic," said Alan neutrally, a bit confused – hadn't that been exactly what Caroline had hoped the weekend would be, and wasn't that why she'd explained to Celia to ring her only if it was urgent?

"Until I wake up to discover my mother on the phone with Kate, and I can guarantee Kate didn't make the call."

"Oh." Alan now understood why Caroline's teeth were actually gritted, but loyally to Celia required him to ask, "you sure Kate didn't make the call?"

"Would you ring your mother-in-law when you were naked?" exclaimed Caroline before she instinctively added, "and no, I'm not being sarcastic, we actually…"

"….are away for the weekend, got it," interrupted Alan, not sure his heart would stand hearing anymore, "I'll deal with Celia."

"Thank you!" Caroline was audibly relieved.

"Have a good weekend," wished Alan, arriving in the kitchen as he ended the call to Caroline and stepping up being Celia, he snatched the phone from her hand, shouting, "bye Kate!" before he ended that phone call too.

"Hey!" protested Celia, annoyed at the interruption.

"Did you forget what Caroline said about this weekend?"

"She's gone to Oxford to see William…didn't want me to call unless it was urgent," recalled Caroline, still visibly cross with Alan, "…not that I get why William singing once means no phone calls for four days," she continued, clearly less than impressed with her daughter as well.

"They, Caroline and Kate, have gone away for the weekend," said Alan, wondering if Celia was being deliberately obtuse.

"Yes, I said that."

"Do you remember our weekend in the Lake District?" asked Alan, hoping to get his point across.

"What? Yes, of course, the hotel was wonderful and we had a four poster…" Celia ground to a halt as several pennies dropped, "…are they, I mean, together? The two of them…"

"Yes."

"And when she said not to call, she meant…"

"Both of them, yes," confirmed Alan gently, sitting down next to the now visibly upset Celia as she realised what's she'd done.

I didn't think… it's not that I mind, well, I do, but only because she's still my little girl and I don't like to think of that at all…I like Kate, I really do… Caroline she's, she's so much like my dad now, and not just because she's tall… she's lighter, happier…and she laughs, and I know it's because of Kate, I…" On the verge of tears, Celia hiccupped to a stop.

"I know love, I know," reassured Alan, recognising the truth in Celia's words.

"Why didn't she say anything, Kate I mean?"

"Well…"

"I mean, I know she's polite and everything, but she could have said!"

"Umm…" Smiling, Alan was amused that he was struggling to interrupt Celia in full flow enough to point out she wasn't easy to interrupt.

"Caroline must hate me!"

"Not hate…"

"What do I do? I can't ring to explain, or can I? Do I text? How do I text?"

"Let's have a bite to eat and a cup of tea," suggested Alan sensibly, looking at the clock on the cooker, "then at 9 o'clock we'll ring William and ask him to pass a message on."

"And maybe your Raff can show us how to text this afternoon?" asked Celia, calming now there was a plan in place that made sense.

"Course he can," agreed Alan easily, preparing to stand up, "now, we got any black pudding?"

* * *

"What just happened?" asked Kate, holding her mobile phone at arm's length like it was about to explode.

"My mother is now realising I'm not a virgin and we've not got two hotel rooms," stated Caroline, taking Kate's phone and tossing it with hers, on the floor, some distance from the bed.

"But you've… I mean, we've…" Kate was struggling to understand why Caroline's virginity (how had Celia thought the boys arrived, by stork?) and their sleeping arrangements were a surprise all of a sudden, especially given how often Kate had stayed at Caroline's and definitely not been in the spare room.

"I know."

"And didn't you explain about us being away, together?"

"Yes."

"Wow, poor Alan."

"Why did you even answer?"

"Habit – I was awake anyway," Kate shifted slightly so they were now lying side by side, facing each other, making it easier to talk.

"You were?" Caroline was relieved her mother hadn't woken Kate but a little concerned – this was supposed to be a lazy Saturday morning.

"View was nice…" whispered Kate, brushing a stray strand of hair out of Caroline's eyes, "and I coped with Celia."

"What did she want anyway?" asked Caroline, propping her head up with her right arm and reaching out to start stroking Kate's collar bone, which happened to be one of Kate's more sensitive areas.

"Do we have to talk about your mother right now?" Kate emphasised her point by tangling her legs with Caroline's.

"You have another topic in mind?"

"One or two…" confirmed Kate as she shifted forwards and began making suggestions, starting with a kiss or three…


	7. Generation's Game

"Granny rang this morning," said William as the waiter left, leaving them with a pot of tea for mother and son and a cappuccino for Kate.

"Did she?" Caroline asked innocently, not fooling Kate.

"Wanted me to tell you she was sorry, for not thinking and for interrupting…" William paused whilst he poured the tea for them, "…and hopes you don't hate her."

"That it?" Accepting her cup from William, she waited as he got comfortable in the depths of their shared couch, Kate electing to take the potentially more sensible decision to sit in the armchair on Caroline's left.

"Umm, mostly, though she is going to text Kate, once Raff's taught her how to text on her phone this afternoon. She also promises not to call you again until you're back – I think she's trying to apologise, but she wouldn't tell me what for," concluded William, observing the two women closely, noting the look of indignant anger lurking in his mother's eyes and the slight sparkle of amusement in Kate's as she looked at his mother, "what did Granny do?"

"Something she knows she shouldn't have done." Caroline didn't feel like elaborating, possibly because the thought of actually retelling the (censored) morning's events to her eldest son, without blushing , felt like something she needed more than tea for.

"What did Granny do to you Kate?"

"What makes you think it was me?" asked Kate, trying to dodge the question but nevertheless impressed at the astuteness of the observation.

"Because Mum's still upset and angry with Granny – if Granny had done whatever she did to Mum, she'd only be angry and you wouldn't be amused by Mum."

"Good point," agreed Kate, smiling at Caroline before elaborating, "but your Mum isn't really upset with your Granny, well, not anymore," which was something Caroline had to agree with, something that made William relax slightly, although not as much as Kate had anticipated.

"And you're not going to tell me what Granny did?"

"Not at the moment, no!" laughed Caroline, glancing at Kate to see if she'd spotted William's nervousness as well.

"And you're not going to let me guess?"

"God no," confirmed Caroline, taking a sip of her tea allowing Kate to pick up the conversation.

"Ready for tomorrow?"

"What? Yes…"

"Sure? Because you seem a bit…" Kate couldn't decide how to verbalise this sense she had that his nervousness wasn't what she remembered seeing ahead of his school concerts, "…everything okay?" she asked, wondering what it was that made him suddenly struggle to make eye contact with either her or Caroline.

"Umm…"

"Are you seeing someone?" asked Caroline gently, gaining that sudden burst of inspiration that sometimes only mothers can find.

"How'd you feel if I was?" William's tone was challenging as he unconsciously mimicked the exact words Caroline had used when he'd asked the same question of her almost a year ago.

"Fine, if it's someone that deserves you." Caroline kept her voice gentle and warm as she deliberately parroted back to him his words from that same conversation.

"Umm, okay, I mean, yes, but…" William stumbled, his gaze never lifting from his tea.

"Is it Matt?" Maybe sudden bursts of inspiration were not the preserve of mothers, with Kate joining in the conversation carefully.

"How'd you know?" asked William softly, looking directly at Kate, his eyes wide with nerves as he frantically tried to work out how she'd guessed so accurately, not yet feeling brave enough to look at his mother.

"You're a lot like your Mum." As far as Kate was concerned, that was the highest form of compliment she could give; as far as William was concerned, it was the highest form of praise he could receive and it was enough to make his face start to relax into a genuine smile.

"You do mention him quite a bit," added Caroline, wondering what Kate meant but focussing on her son for now, "he sounds nice," she encouraged, wondering if he'd open up a little more now he'd seen neither her or Kate were angry or upset.

"He is."

"Does he have a last name?" coaxed Kate gently, abandoning her cup of coffee.

"Jones, Matt Jones."

"Is he Welsh?"

"No." William put his tea cup down and took a deep breath before looking straight at Kate, "Nigerian, on his Mum's side."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously…I know you don't believe me…" he pulled out his mobile phone so they could see a picture of them.

"What does he do?" asked Caroline, looking at the picture of the two of them, standing side by side, Matt clearly just finished playing a very muddy game of rugby, "besides rugby?"

"2nd year Chemistry – keeps muttering about moles…" William watched as his mother passed his phone to Kate who, much to his confusion, started laughing.

"Oh my…" she finally said in between laughs, just as his phone started ringing, the number coming up as 'Matt', before she quickly sobered when she saw his face, "…why don't you invite him round now, save you worrying about lunch tomorrow all the way through your solo," she suggested, realising laughing wasn't the best thing to have done as she handed the phone back to him, "…we'll even explain why I just laughed," she promised, putting her hand on top of Caroline's, which was now resting on her knee.

"Matt? You are? We're just beyond…I'm coming…" and, with a sheepish look at his mother, he was soon out in the hotel lobby, gone to retrieve Matt who was evidently just arriving.

"I shouldn't have laughed."

"It's funny…I should have guessed…."

"You okay?" asked Kate, quickly moving so she was now sharing the couch with her girlfriend, inadvertently meaning the boys would have to each take an armchair.

"I'm not surprised, I've always known…I think…"

"He's his mother's son," confirmed Kate, resting her hand supportively on Caroline's knee, "had to get his best bits from someone," she teased, still a little bit amused by all the coincidences they shared with the younger couple.

"Mmm…John's going to flip."

"Tomorrow's problem," said Kate succinctly, rising to her feet as she saw the pair appearing, "and anyway, Matt's bigger than John," she concluded as she pulled Caroline to her feet.

"Oh my…hi! You must be Matt! I'm Caroline…"

* * *

They'd soon abandoned their drinks in favour of a walk along the river in the bright spring sunshine and had quickly paired off once it became obvious that a stilted 4-way conversation wasn't going to work.

"Isn't it usually rugby on Saturday afternoons?" asked Kate, strolling along the riverbank with William, Matt and Caroline a few yards ahead of them.

"He's not playing this week."

"Oh?" Kate turned to look at William, concerned.

"Broken thumb – he's a bit embarrassed so he keeps his left hand in his pocket," explained William conspiratorially, looking at Kate with a nervous grin, "but don't say anything."

"How'd he break it?" Kate guessed it wasn't a rugby-related injury but didn't dare speculate how he might have broken it.

"Fell out of bed." Maybe it was because she wasn't his mother, or maybe it was because he was just generally gaining in confidence as his age started to catch up with his maturity, but it didn't feel difficult to tell Kate that now, standing by the river in the sunshine, "…I might have pushed him…" he admitted, blushing as Kate started laughing.

"No wonder he's embarrassed," agreed Kate, trying to picture the 6'6" Matt being knocked over in any way by the much slighter William, "tickle fight?"

"It's not my fault I'm ticklish!" protested William, blushing even more.

"You're so like your Mum…" teased Kate, putting her arm round his shoulders in an attempt to reassure him that she wasn't laughing at him, as they started walking once more.

"How'd you both meet?" asked Caroline, hearing Kate's laughter on the breeze and having to resist the urge to turn and see what the joke was.

"Music shop – we were both trying to buy the same CD," explained Matt nervously, feeling like he was talking to a Headmistress rather than William's mum, despite the fact they'd been making small talk for 10 minutes or so already.

"Relax… I'm only a headmistress to my pupils and William's father," reassured Caroline, picking up on the young man's familiar anxiety all too easily, "…and I can be far scarier as his mother…" she teased, pleased to see a brief smile flash across his face in spite of his attempts to look serious and responsible, "what was the CD?"

"I don't even remember now, exactly, but it would have been something choral or organ music – you can't exactly get organ recitals on iTunes."

"That's Kate's influence on him," agreed Caroline, smiling instinctively as she remembered the hours William spent with Kate during the summer holiday whilst he waited for his A-Level results getting her to explain how the school organ worked and introducing him to more of the music she was so familiar with.

"But you can get Gorillaz…" muttered Matt, causing Caroline to look at him in confusion, not having anticipated the apparent non-sequitur, "…on iTunes – he also has Gorillaz," explained Matt, clearly still amused by what he thought was a weird combination.

"That's probably my fault," Caroline started to instinctively hum 'Clint Eastwood'.

"Wow."

"Not what you'd guess?" she asked, pleased to see he was finally becoming less nervous.

"More Ella and Etta…maybe a little Miles Davies and Louis Armstrong?"

"And you're right, but you have to remember I am surrounded by teenagers too, and anyway, I like the non-rap bit of that 'sunshine in the bag' one…" explained Caroline, her humming giving way to distracted singing as they strolled along, confirming to Matt that this wasn't an elaborate bluff – she did actually like the song.

"You do know it's about drugs?" he asked, intrigued – he'd not met many headmistresses before, certainly not any that were as non-headmistress-like as William's mother seemed to be, making him belatedly realise that his own parents had been right – teachers were only teachers some of the time, they were people all of the time.

"I was a student here in the late '80s," observed Caroline mildly, turning to look at him before adding with a grin, "and there are some things a boy's boyfriend doesn't need to know about said boy's mother!"

"Got it!" he laughed, realising what she wasn't saying and therefore almost missing what she had said, "you called me his boyfriend…"

"Well you are, aren't you?"

"Yes, but…" Matt wasn't sure what he wanted to say.

"But you weren't expecting me to just accept it and call you what you are?" she asked kindly, understanding more than he could ever know.

"Umm…" Matt ground to a halt, dumbstruck. Where was William?

"Hey, it's okay," encouraged Caroline, putting her hand on his arm, "…look at Kate…"

"She's nice," agreed Matt, watching William and Kate approach, deep in conversation about something or other, "he talks a lot about her."

"She's wonderful and I'm biased and I'm glad…" Caroline stopped herself, realising she was in danger of gushing.

"Everything okay?" asked Kate, realising they'd arrived just as Caroline had stopped talking and Matt wasn't looking entirely relaxed.

"Mmm, swap partners please William," instructed Caroline, letting go of Matt's arm and replacing herself as the one with an arm around Kate's waist.

"Caroline?" asked Kate quietly, having a reasonably good idea what she wanted to say and understanding why she'd waited until Kate was with her.

"They need to know."

"You want me to?" asked Kate, knowing how difficult Caroline found it to talk about John's negative behaviour.

"No, I'm fine."

"Mum?" William was confused and getting nervous again.

"Matt, you seem like a lovely guy who makes William do something other than read books all the time. William, I like your boyfriend, I can't not like your boyfriend, well, I can and I will, but it has nothing to do with Matt and everything to do with you not being three anymore…oh god." Caroline ground to a halt again, alarming William.

"Mum?"

"Caroline?"

"My mother – I understand how she feels," said Caroline, looking utterly appalled at the thought and causing Kate to smile at her shocked girlfriend.

"You'll get over it."

"She hasn't."

"You're not Celia."

"Get over what?" William still was confused but mentioning his Granny wasn't helping his nerves either.

"The fact that you're no longer a toddler," said Kate succinctly before, with a sly smirk at Caroline's frozen face then stage whispered, "the fact that you might possibly, one day, have sex…"

"Oh." William blushed and Matt laughed before shutting up quickly at the look on his boyfriend's face, "wait, what does Granny have to do with this?"

"We had a bit of a moment this morning…" explained Kate, her attention focussing on Caroline who was gradually recovering.

"Granny rang to ask me to apologise to Mum and Kate for something she did to Kate but she wouldn't…wait, she rang you, this morning, when…"

"NO!" Caroline rejoined the conversation, blushing violently, just as Kate muttered, "not exactly," causing William to blush and Matt to start laughing.

"The point is…" stuttered Caroline, trying to restart the conversation she'd intended to have before she'd been distracted, only for Kate to give her a reassuring squeeze and say what needed to be said.

"The point is William, your mother is…"

"…so happy you're happy," finished Caroline, smiling at her son, before warning, "…your Father will hate Matt."

"I'm not telling Dad," said William quickly.

"And neither am I. Matt, it's nothing personal but his father will never like you, so I wouldn't even bother worrying about trying."

"But…"

"Gay Nigerians aren't his favourites, and we're not changing that anytime soon, are we?" asked Kate mildly.

"No Ma'am, I, uh, mean Kate," stumbled Matt, making both smile.

"Not to mention the Chemistry, he never really understood that either…" mused Caroline before asking, "you are real? I mean…"

"Yes Mum, he's real and yes, it is weird," agreed William, smiling slightly as he finally fully relaxed as he recognised his mother and Kate were genuinely comfortable with his relationship and accepting of his reluctance to mention this to his father.

"Okay then. So, Matt, you going to join us for lunch tomorrow, after the service?"

"Umm." Matt paused to look at William who grinned a little, "…thank you Dr…Caroline, that would be great."

"Good, well, this cold can't be good for the voice."

"Mum…"

"Don't you have an essay to write?" prompted Kate, gently intervening before the stand-off between mother and son could become too entrenched.

"He does," confirmed Matt, wrapping his arm around William's shoulders, "and he keeps putting it off."

"You're supposed to be on my side!"

"She was using the teacher look!"

"Kate was not! And anyway, you weren't even taught by her!"

"Okay boys…" laughed Caroline, amused by their antics, "…we won't ask any more questions about homework."

"Or broken thumbs," added Kate, enjoying seeing Matt squirm a little, sharing William's embarrassment.

"See you tomorrow? You are going?" asked Caroline, suddenly realising she might be at risk of making an assumption about Matt's plans for the morning.

"Yes, if I finish my tutorial work."

"Perhaps we could sit together then," suggested Caroline even as she was reaching out to pull William into a brief but tight hug, conscious they would all benefit from some time and space to absorb the morning's introductions.

"I'd like that," agreed Matt, shaking Kate's hand, not sure about hugging her yet.

"Good, 10 o'clock?" checked Caroline, not letting go of her son.

"Yes Mum," In response, William squeezed her even tighter and whispered, "thank you."

"I love you," she whispered back, returning the tight hug with a final squeeze of her own before, by mutual agreement, they both eased back.

"See you tomorrow Kate," said William awkwardly, stepping out of his mother's arms.

"Come here," instructed Kate, pulling him into a hug, pleased when he went willingly – they didn't hug often but it always brought a smile to Caroline's face when they did, "well done," she whispered, giving him her own vote of confidence.

"You don't get to escape Matt," Caroline gestured to the big guy to give her a hug, "just go gently on me…" she teased, making him chuckle as he followed her instructions, "…welcome to my family."

* * *

"You okay?" asked Kate a couple of minutes later when, final arrangements made, William and Matt had set off back towards their colleges and Kate and Caroline had resumed their walk, finally walking arms linked with each other.

"He's growing up so fast."

"He's just like you."

"That's what worries me."

"Why?" Kate refrained from pointing out that, in her opinion, Caroline was pretty near perfect.

"He's not speaking to his father, at all, hasn't done since the divorce started."

"Did he before?"

"Before the divorce began?"

"Yes."

"Umm…" Caroline thought for a moment, never having considered William's relationship with his father as having distinct phases of 'before', 'during' and hopefully 'after' the divorce, having only focussed on worrying about the 'during' phase thus far, "…no, not really. Odd, now I think about it, given John being the English lecturer…" she resisted the temptation to sarcastically highlight his professed but never displayed open-minded, liberal views.

"He is 19," reminded Kate, sidestepping having to talk about John by highlighting that, already 18 when the separation really became permanent and irreversible, William did have some more control of his relationship with his father than Laurence had.

"I know, I just worry that he felt forced to pick between us, I mean, I love that both of them have stayed with me…"

"If anyone did any forcing, the way I see it? It was John, who forced the boys to stop seeing him by behaving such that neither could cope," said Kate carefully, remembering the tears and confusion John's behaviour had created in the early days of the separation, before the lawyers had become fully involved and some calm had been introduced, "…and William? He was always going to be this William if he…" Kate paused, suddenly acutely aware that she couldn't say what she needed to say without potentially insulting Caroline, only to decide that she had no choice, "…took the opportunity life gave him to be exactly who he wanted to be rather than what he felt he had to be."

"Like me you mean?" asked Caroline, reaching for Kate's hand in an attempt to convey that she wasn't angry or upset, just trying to make sure she understood.

"It's a different world, for William, for us, for Matt…" Kate trailed off, instinctively remembering some of her own university experiences and some of the choices she had made for 'a quiet life'.

"Is it, really?" Caroline's question pulled Kate back into the present as the firm tug on her hand pulled her down onto a bench so she was sitting close to Caroline who instinctively snuggled into her side.

"You're thinking about the hotel, last night."

"Maybe a little…" Caroline's partial denial was unconvincing.

"That was one person," started Kate, who had been wondering when Caroline would revisit their check-in experience.

"A horrible person," recalled Caroline, remembering with a shudder the receptionist who, on realising 'Dr C. Elliot' was a woman, had started trying to re-book them into two standard rooms and cancel the flowers and wine that Caroline had so carefully organised, adding insult to injury by apologising for the 'disgusting' mix-up.

"Who, unlike a few years ago, is now in trouble with his employer for behaving like that to you, to us."

"How do you know" Kate's calmness and confidence was starting to rub off on Caroline but still, the scientist in her wanted some quantified or evidenced explanation.

"Because we have to believe that's how society now behaves, otherwise we become paralysed with fear," said Kate thoughtfully before adding in a lighter tone, "and I checked to made bloody certain this morning when you were outside meeting William."

"You did?"

"Course I did – I knew how upset you were."

"You're amazing," declared Caroline, leaning in to kiss Kate's cold lips in thanks, oblivious to the dog walkers and joggers going past them.

"You're pretty incredible," Kate initiated another kiss, "you really okay? About William? And you are allowed to freak out you know…"

"Am I?"

"Think it's in the mother's handbook, in the chapter called 'normal people do it'," joked Kate, studying Caroline's face before adding seriously, "he's your son, who's told you he's gay and is going out with a black guy…you're allowed to blink," reassured Kate, reading Caroline too well to miss the small hints that something was bothering her but not quite able to pinpoint exactly what was the real issue.

"He wouldn't have told me if he wasn't sure, and Matt seems a nice boy, and I really don't care about the gay…" Caroline smiled as she reached up with cold fingers to stroke Kate's cheek and added, "…or the black…but I'm just so…so scared for him." Finally saying what she was really feeling was all it took to shred her remaining composure and she buried her face in the crook of Kate's neck, her arms snaking around Kate's waist as the tears came.

"Sshh…" soothed Kate, not in the least bit surprised at Caroline's reaction, shifting on the bench slightly to make it easier to hold her lover.

"I'm sorry," sniffed Caroline eventually when she was composed enough to lift her face up.

"Why?"

"You're all wet?" Caroline reached out to touch the scarf Kate was wearing that now had a very obviously wet section which was also streaked with makeup.

"Don't be silly, and don't apologise," instructed Kate softly, wondering if Caroline would explain what she was feeling without Kate needing to coax it from her.

"It's just, I'm happy, for him, really happy and proud but…" Caroline's tumble of words stopped and, frowning whilst she chewed her lip, Caroline attempted to start again but couldn't find the words.

"But people are naïve and bigoted and make comments that are hurtful and mean," said Kate finally, catching the final tears on Caroline's cheeks with her fingertips, "and William's your little boy."

"He's not big like us," agreed Caroline, consciously refusing to let herself recall some of the more negative comments they'd occasionally overhead during their relationship thus far.

"Which gives him some advantages as well as the disadvantages you're already thinking of," pointed out Kate reasonably before continuing, "he's got a Mum who loves and understands him, a boyfriend who will be there to make sure he notices the real world going past his window," Kate was pleased to see a smile starting to appear, "…a brother to tease him and friends who won't be surprised," she finished, not needing to point out exactly how different it had been for Caroline and Kate, coming to their relationship with each other more than twenty years later than William having had to cope with understanding themselves more than twenty years earlier when, in both situations, the world was very different.

"You forgot you."

"Huh?"

"You forgot to include you on his list of things he's got on his side."

"Ah, you mean insight into how to cope with crazy Nigerian families? I'm sure Matt's are perfectly sane and sensible," said Kate, deflecting the compliment.

"You mean so much to him, you know that don't you?"

"He means a lot to me too."

"You're his…" Before Caroline could define or label Kate's relationship with William, Kate beat her to it.

"I'm his Kate, and I'm Laurence's Kate too."

"And mine, you're my Kate…" agreed Caroline, leaning in for another kiss, her emotional equilibrium regained, at least until the next loop-the-loop arrived in the rollercoaster that seemed to be her life in all areas except Kate.

"Caroline?"

"Mmm?"

"My bum's gone numb." Kate's spectacularly unromantic declaration caused Caroline to burst out laughing.

"Come on then…" And, having pulled Kate to her feet with her, their moods lighter and their partnership even stronger, they resumed their casual stroll back along the river, holding hands and being exactly what they wanted to be, two people in love, enjoying an afternoon's walk in the spring sunshine.


	8. Three-Two Time

**WARNING: There are a couple of uses of racist and homophobic language - it is not gratuitous and is relevant to the plot.**

****Thank you to everyone who has been reading this collection of scenes thus far and enjoying them - I'm glad you're enjoying this pairing as much as I am.

Despite the warning (I'm being overly cautious) this is still fluffy and warm and not in the least bit angsty...promise!

* * *

"I don't believe this." The quiet of the staff room was broken by Josephine Connors' statement, her strong voice easily carrying across the room, attracting the attention of most of the staff present which, owing to the lunch break only just starting, was a large number.

"What is it?" asked someone quietly, unable to contain their curiosity despite their better judgement which was, based on experience, to not engage with the English teacher.

"Just because his mother's the headmistress, thinks he can get away with anything." Whether she realised it or not, she was now the focus of everyone in the staff room.

"Laurence?" asked another teacher, frowning.

"Cocky little arrogant so-and-so…" In hindsight, the general consensus amongst the staff would be that, despite how it appeared (and sounded given how well she projected her voice), Josephine Connors had been providing a running commentary on her marking that, to use a phrase familiar to many parents and teachers of small children, should have been delivered using her 'inside voice' and wasn't, as it sounded, a declamatory speech intended for general consumption. However, they were going to need hindsight for that.

"Josephine, really!" protested Mrs Aspinal, the Head of Geography, not prepared to tolerate the behaviour, "that's hardly fair, Laurence is an excellent student."

"I find that hard to believe." The unpleasant teacher looked at her colleague, definitely no longer talking with just herself about this, "I can see you're all blinkered, too scared of his mother, but this is it, he's going in detention for this and there is nothing you can do or say that will stop me."

"What are you talking about?" Kate couldn't place whose voice it was, not able to identify all of her colleagues (the Biology Department was a mystery to her for example) by voice alone, and certainly not when there were clearly infused with anger. She also wasn't about to sit up and literally raise her head up above the parapet (well, chair back in this case) to see who was taking up the cause, sensing her presence, once known, would only inflame the situation which was rapidly deteriorating.

"This!" exclaimed Josephine, her earlier loudness meaning the simple exclamation sounded like a shout as she brandished an exercise book.

"Seems like a neatly written essay," noted Mrs Aspinal, the formidable despatcher of Michael-bloody-Dobson with such apparent ease at the start of the academic year, "was he rude in class?" she asked reasonably, trying to work out what might be going on and also calm the irate teacher down.

"No."

"Late to submit?"

"No."

"I'm sorry Josephine – how exactly has he transgressed in your eyes?"

"It's on a bloody comic book!" shouted Josephine, her frustration at her colleague's lack of agreement with her adding to her fury as she got up so as to reclaim the apparently offensive exercise book and, in doing so, saw Kate. "You! You and your mumbo jumbo – the boy's not dyslexic, just slow and lazy…and he doesn't need you fawning about doing whatever disgusting stuff you do with his mother, some mother she is, messing around with a queer nig…"

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" shouted Caroline, bursting through the door just in time to drown out the racist part of the insulting rant but unfortunately not arriving soon enough to have prevented the damage being done if the shell-shocked expression on Kate's face and the sniggers from the corridor were any indication. Slamming the staff room door behind her, not waiting for a response to her question, she set about doing some damage control, pleased to note that there were enough staff present to make that at least reasonably straightforward.

"Jennifer, please escort Josephine to my office – I'll be along in a few minutes. Could you tell Beverley that I will also be a few minutes late for the Governors' meeting?"

"Leave your marking and bring your coat and bag – you won't be coming back," said Jennifer Robertshaw coldly, not remotely sympathetic towards her colleague, the elderly librarian finally prepared to show quite what she really thought and felt about the English teacher after all these years.

"Caroline, I…"

"You've said quite enough Josephine, please go to my office," said Caroline icily, not remotely interested. "Could someone go find Helen and ask her to meet me at my office?" At Caroline's request, Mrs Aspinal set off to find her fellow Head of Department and get her up to speed on the problems she now had to deal with as well as pass on advice about how to quickly restructure a department to absorb the lessons from a recently dismissed teacher.

"At the most basic human level, I do not expect to hear that sort of language used and opinion expressed, by anyone about anyone," began Caroline, addressing the room at large, not remotely concerned she was treating virtually her entire staff like naughty eleven year olds, "as Headmistress, I do not expect and will not tolerate such language or opinions from my staff. I am disappointed that I did not address this particular situation sooner." She didn't need to also ask why no one else had intervened before she arrived – everyone was already asking themselves that. "I hope that you all agree with me that we do not want such language used by our pupils and that you will be extremely conscientious in how you address all the questions that will no doubt be asked by them before the end of term tomorrow." Caroline paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to give her strength for what she wanted to say next, her gaze sweeping around the room before landing on Kate who, to Caroline's experienced eye, was clearly shaken and upset, even though she was trying to hide it.

"I am also incandescent with rage that such language can be used, without apparent challenge, about a pupil with a diagnosis of dyslexia. Claiming shock is, for the majority of you, not good enough. I will not even attempt to describe what I'm thinking right now about you as Laurence's mother.

"Caroline…"

"No Mike, not interested. You all know Josephine Connors was a loose cannon who was always unlikely to keep her opinions to herself, especially in light of last Friday's incident, not least because we discussed it at the Heads of Department meeting on Monday. You also know how quickly news travels around this building and how your behaviour and example sets the tone. I could hear her in the corridor outside MY office, not to mention the fifty or so kids who were there too." The Deputy Head looked sheepish, unable to argue her point when she put it like that. "If anyone agrees with what that woman had to say about me personally, they can go keep her company in my office." No one moved.

"You okay?" asked Caroline quietly, moving across the room so she was only an arm's length away from Kate, seemingly oblivious to the stunned staff around them.

"It's not like she was particularly original…" Kate tried for humour but the tears flowed in spite of her best efforts to supress them now the reality of what just happened, and what more might have been said had Caroline not appeared when she had, began to sink in.

"Could someone go find Laurence for us please? He's probably…" Caroline paused, looking at Kate as she tried to remember his timetable.

"Computer lab, robotics club," said Kate, dragging her cardigan cuff across her damp eyes.

"I'll go, and I'll cover your classes this afternoon," said Kate's Head of Department, having a rough idea what Kate had planned to do as 'fun' on this final day of lessons before term's formal end tomorrow.

"Can the rest of you go out and prowl? With it raining so hard they're all lounging around gossiping."

"Of course." Eager to redeem himself in Caroline's eyes, the Deputy Head began ushering his colleagues out into the corridor to start some very intensive hall monitoring for the remainder of the lunch break. It was almost certainly too little too late but what little it was would be done with commitment and determination by the embarrassed staff who were, now the shock was passing, absolutely mortified at their collective behaviour.

"Hey…" said Caroline gently, stepping closer to Kate, who instinctively brought her arms up and wrapped them tightly around her waist as she buried her face in the crook of Caroline's neck and let the emotions take over, neither woman caring if there were any of their colleagues still left in the room. "Sshh…" soothed Caroline, wrapping her own arms around Kate and rocking her gently as she felt the tears come, "…I'm sorry you had to listen to that…she's clearly bonkers and she's going, right now," continued Caroline, resolute. It was something she didn't like doing but Josephine Connors had crossed too many lines and, as far as Caroline was concerned, she was getting the agreement of the Governors this afternoon that would see the unpleasant woman gone for good.

"I'm sorry…" mumbled Kate, her tears easing as the solid, comforting presence of Caroline calmed her.

"Whatever for?"

"That…" sniffed Kate, looking up at Caroline's confused face.

"What did you do?" Caroline was lost.

"If I hadn't, that is…" Kate stumbled over her words, struggling to complete a statement, but it was enough for Caroline to get enough of a hint and disagree.

"No, no, no, no, no my darling no," she said firmly, emphasising her point with a kiss that Kate couldn't stop herself instinctively responding to, much to Caroline's relief. "You have nothing to apologise for and nothing to doubt – what would William and Matt think if we began apologising for the Josephine Connors of this world rather than standing up to it when we can?" asked Caroline, remembering their time with the boys over the weekend when they'd, in many ways, got to know William better as well as getting to know Matt as well.

"Okay…" agreed Kate, accepting Caroline's point, "…but I am sorry you were talked about like that."

"Pfft! It says more about her than it ever will about you and me," said Caroline, not remotely concerned about the substance of the vitriol spouted about Kate and Laurence, "…I'm more worried about you."

"She wasn't exactly original," repeated Kate, "…it's not like I've not heard it before," shrugged Kate, smiling weakly, "which I know upsets you but it's true. And I'm okay, or will be…the shock…everyone will be fine with me…it's Laurence I'm worried about."

"I love you." The spontaneity of Caroline's unexpected declaration confused Kate, prompting Caroline to rapidly elaborate, "you're worried about Laurence – you're entitled to be a wailing puddle of angry goo but you're worried about Laurence." As visuals went, it wasn't Caroline's finest, but it made her point.

"I love you too…" Before Kate could add anything more, about how overwhelming it was to hear Caroline putting her concern for Kate ahead of younger son, they were interrupted.

"Mum?" Laurence was standing just inside the staff room door, confused, although seeing both his Mum and Kate did make him less worried than he had been when he'd been collected by his French teacher and brought to the staff room.

"Thanks Jake," said Kate, stepping out from behind Caroline so she could acknowledge her immediate boss who, with a nod and a smile, stepped back out into the corridor, leaving the family alone.

"Kate? What's going on?" Laurence looked between the two women who both looked like they were upset, although only Kate looked like she'd been crying.

"I think you're going to get a commendation for your book report," joked Kate finally, unsure how else to start the conversation.

"Really? Cool…" Laurence's initial enthusiasm at receiving the praise was tempered with suspicion, "…why have you been crying?"

"Come sit down," suggested Caroline, gesturing to the couch in the corner of the staff room that the three of them would just fit on, Laurence sandwiched in the middle. "Whilst you were away, there was an incident I had to sort out in a classroom."

"Tamara and Jackson kissing in English? Your face was amazing Mum."

"Wait, how did you…oh, it's on Facebook?" she asked, seeing the funny side.

"Yeah, umm, someone took pictures with their phone and put them up at the weekend," said Laurence carefully, not wanting to get anyone in trouble with his mother for using their phone in class.

"You're showing me those pictures later," stage-whispered Kate conspiratorially, looking slyly at Caroline over Laurence's head, earning her an un-headmistress-y tongue stuck out at her.

"Sure," agreed Laurence, "what's that got to do with this?"

"Mrs Connors was the teacher. She and I had to have a little chat on Monday morning," Laurence's eyes widened – his mother's 'little chats' were famous and not for nice reasons, "and she wasn't very happy with me."

"Was she mean to you?" asked Laurence, holding his mother's hand as he remember their night-time talk on her birthday.

"No, but just now she was very mean to you and Kate, here, in the staff room."

"Because of my book report?"

"A little," said Kate honestly, knowing he needed to be told the whole truth no matter how painful it might be, "and she said some unpleasant things about your dyslexia and my relationship with you and your mum."

"That's not…" Laurence was getting upset, "…no one should say that – you and Mum are brilliant."

"She also said some nasty things about Kate, and started to use bad words to describe her based on the colour of her skin," explained Caroline carefully, hating that she was even having to explain such hatred and unpleasantness to her son at all but knowing he had to hear it from them before he heard it from another pupil.

"Like nigger?"

"Where have you heard that word?" asked Kate, not denying it but concerned.

"Boys around…not from here Mum, but in town, when I've been out with Sam once or twice; I never said anything because they shouted it at Sam, and we told his Dad…I'll tell you next time, promise…" he finished in a rush, worried in case he was in trouble.

"Let's hope there won't be a next time," said Caroline kindly, not remotely interested in telling him off (even though she probably should) but instead selfishly relieved he'd not heard any taunts because of Kate being in his life.

"So is Mrs Connors in a lot of trouble?" asked Laurence, his natural schoolboy's curiosity about grown-ups in trouble surfacing.

"A lot of trouble," agreed Caroline, letting her head drop onto the back of the couch.

"You gonna growl?" joked Laurence, a little happier now his Mum and Kate seemed to be starting to laugh a little.

"Oh, I'm going to ROAR!" laughed Caroline before sobering as she realised the final thing they had to explain to him. Fortunately though, Kate was already ready.

"You might get teased a lot tomorrow…Mrs Connors did quite a lot of shouting."

"She's good at that," he agreed, remembering his classes with her, "was she very loud?"

"I could hear her from the corridor," said Caroline sadly.

"So everyone else could too…" sighed Laurence, knowing at least five people who would make it their mission to tease him.

"Yes."

"You going to be okay?" he asked of both of them – being teachers they couldn't exactly hit back like he could in lunch break, or at least, that's what it seemed like to him.

"Nobody's going to be mean to us, nobody that matters," said Kate, making eye-contact with Caroline over his head, who nodded her agreement, adding,

"And we can handle mean if they try."

"You always say that Mum."

"And I always mean that," she said, sitting up and realising she really couldn't put off going to deal with that bloody woman any longer, "you want to stay here with Kate?" she asked, seeing the half smile from Kate and the sharp nod from her son, confirming she'd made the right suggestion.

"Can I? Really?" Rarely did she ever use her authority like this, so Laurence wasn't going to pass up on the chance.

"You were only going to be in the library for most of it, weren't you?" checked Caroline, glancing down at his sprained wrist, an unexpected souvenir from his rugby trip that meant his afternoon timetable of Sport followed by Art was not going to have been much fun with a bandaged hand.

"Yeah," agreed Laurence, "…but what about your classes Kate?"

"Mr Blanchard is covering for me," said Kate, naming her Head of Department who had brought Laurence to the staff room for them, her shaky voice revealing to both mother and son that the earlier events in the supposed calm haven of the staff room had still left her unsettled.

"So, how about you keep Kate company whilst I do my meetings, then we go to the concert together?" proposed Caroline, remembering the annual school vocal concert that was taking place tonight and which they had all been looking forward to this morning, "I've got a picnic in my office for us," she concluded, sending a quick prayer of thanks in Beverley's direction for getting that organised that morning.

"Sounds like a plan to me, Laurence?"

"Cool…do I have to wear my uniform?"

"There's some jeans in the car," Caroline remembered the bag she'd packed whilst he was in the bathroom getting ready that morning, not having enough time to consult with him but deciding the jeans and top he'd been wearing the evening before would be far better than staying in his school clothes.

"Cool!" And, content with the plans, Laurence set about rummaging through his school bag to find his mobile phone so he could text his brother the news about Mrs Connors being in trouble and Caroline letting him miss an afternoon of (admittedly not academically significant) classes to hang out with Kate in the staff room, leaving Kate and Caroline to have a brief whispered conversation above him.

"You going to be okay?" asked Caroline, reaching out to stroke Kate's still damp cheek.

"We will be," she smiled gently, "I will be," she confirmed, glad Caroline hadn't asked if she was okay as, with the shock fading, it was obvious she wasn't quite herself again just yet.

"You don't have to come tonight," offered Caroline, understanding if Kate wanted to disappear from her colleagues and pupils, "…you could both go home now and I could come and get him…"

"I want to." Caroline studied Kate's face for a long moment, searching for any signs of doubt or reluctance.

"Okay then." With a quick glance towards the engrossed Laurence, Caroline leaned forward and was met by Kate halfway. When their quick kiss ended, she whispered, "…love you," before clearing her throat and, ruffling Laurence's hair as she stood, "I'll come find you after my meetings are finished."

"We'll be waiting," confirmed Kate as Laurence, his text message finished, added, "bye Mum!"

"Kate?"

"Yes?"

"Do you really have no lessons?"

"Seems like it?"

"And it's really okay for you to be here with me?" The fact that he was even asking told Kate that he, like her, wasn't quite as relaxed about what had happened as they'd both tried to make it appear like when Caroline had been there. At 14, he was definitely growing up but there were still moments when the child he still was surfaced.

"Very okay," promised Kate, pulling him into a one-armed hug.

"Kate…"

"Yes Laurence?"

"Want to read some Asterix?" and, laughing at how, so innocently, her lunchtime had come full circle, she settled down to do battle with Asterix's own battles, even it was already in translation…


	9. In Concert

"There's Sam! Can I go with him Mum?" asked Laurence, catching sight of his best friend in the crowd only ahead of them as they came out of Caroline's office after their impromptu picnic supper.

"Only if his parents don't mind," said Caroline automatically, smiling as Laurence was already threading through the crowd to catch up with them as they were about to enter the packed school hall, knowing there wouldn't really be an issue as she'd discussed it with Sylvia, Sam's mother when they'd bumped into each other whilst waiting for the rugby trip to return yesterday. "I guess his friend is more exciting that I am," joked Caroline, not in the least bit offended.

"Bet he comes to find you at the interval."

"Ooo, a wager! What's the stake?" Caroline smirked at Kate, inwardly massively relieved that Kate seemed to be able to laugh and joke a little now that a little bit of 'family' time had helped to create a distance from the afternoon's unpleasantness. Before Kate could answer however, they were interrupted by parents, requiring both of them to shift into their professional personas, roles they had to maintain down the length of the corridor and into the hall where, parents finally satisfied, they were rescued by Beverley.

"Caroline, Kate – Laurence is already towards the front with Sam but I saved you some seats at the back," explained the efficient as always secretary, gesturing towards two seats on the end of the back row which would be well out of the way of the bulk of the audience come the interval but easily accessible should Caroline have to 'perform' as Headmistress although the plan was that she wouldn't.

"Wonderful, thank you," said Kate for both of them as Caroline had to acknowledge a passing Governor, the linguist once again admiring how subtly and easily Beverley had adapted and adjusted to their relationship.

"Gavin's around here somewhere."

"Looking for me?" asked Caroline, wondering what the Chairman of the Governors could possibly want after an entire afternoon with her – whilst he wasn't quite as bad as her mother thought, she did agree he was smarmy and she really had had enough of his company for one day.

"Both of you, something about an apology," Beverley paused as she watched both of their faces fall, "but I shall continue to fail to find you," she declared knowingly, having, like all the very best secretaries, a perfectly clear understanding of what was going on.

"You're a star, thank you."

"Now, go – take a seat and enjoy yourselves!" encouraged Beverley, shooing them off in the direction of their seats which, in an act of supreme cunning and logistics were next to a pair of seats that just 'happened' to be reserved for two very important people who would never quite manage to make it to the otherwise full to capacity hall.

"So…" began Caroline quietly, once they were in their seats, sat decorously like the Headmistress and one of her staff should, waiting for the highlight of the school event year to begin, "what's the stake for our bet?"

"How about…" Conscious of their location, Kate leaned across so she could murmur something in Caroline's ear without actually leaning in to Caroline's body so there was always clear daylight between them and thus an illusion of professionalism.

"Won't that be…" Caroline cleared her throat, "…technically difficult?"

"Not stopped us in the past," muttered Kate, deliberately fixing her gaze on the printed programme, grateful that her natural colouring meant it was hard for most people to see when she was blushing. Any witty comeback Caroline might have been able to make had her brain not stalled was thwarted with the sudden dimming of the hall lights and the onset of loud cheering as, onto the stage appeared the Head of Music, unusually smartly dressed in a dinner jacket and black bow tie in recognition of his role as the evening's appointed Master of Ceremonies as well as playing the drums in the on-stage band made up of music department members. Accepting the fact that, for this round at least, Kate was going to get the last word in, Caroline took advantage of the darkness and their relative isolation and reached out to grasp Kate's hand. As gestures went, it was small but significant, discreet but daring and, judging by the squeeze that Kate gave in return, comfortable and welcome for both of them. As days went, today's had been particularly shitty, as evenings were going however, whilst this wasn't what she would have chosen as a way for them to recover, if everything carried on like this, well, maybe it would turn out alright after all.

* * *

They'd survived the interval; Laurence had indeed come to find them, much to Kate's amused delight as it enabled her to remind Caroline that a bet had been made. Laurence had interpreted his mother's blushes as embarrassment at being caught being so silly and unwittingly added to her torment by teasing her when, in reality, her blushes had absolutely nothing to do with making or losing of the bet and everything to do with Kate's whispered stakes which, as Kate knew all too well, were actually best described as 'win-win' for both of them.

Despite Beverley's best efforts, Gavin had found them, joining their little family group right at the punch line of one of Laurence's retellings of some of the Asterix he'd read earlier that day, meaning the Chairman of the Governors' attempted apology to Kate and Caroline on behalf of all the Governors for the behaviour of their former colleague (dismissed that afternoon) took a little longer than anyone really wanted and was only, rather awkwardly, concluded with the ringing of the school bell which signified that the second half was about to start.

"That was…"

"Awkward?" suggested Caroline, a smile fixed firmly on her face as they navigated the crowds of parents and pupils in an attempt to return to their seats before the lights were dimmed.

"Unexpected – did you know they wanted us to know that?" asked Kate, not clear what the object of that apology had been, since it wasn't like Caroline didn't know the English teacher had been dismissed, having spent most of her afternoon embroiled in all the necessary paperwork and discussion to ensure it actually happened.

"No, they must have discussed it during the reserve business item after I'd left."

"Do you think that's the end?"

"End?" Caroline nodded to Beverley as the threaded their way around to their seats, relieved to be out of the crowd of parents, any one of whom could and would expect her to remember exactly who their child was and be able to speak knowledgably about their individual brilliance.

"End of people apologising?" asked Kate, feeling bad for sounding so ungrateful but, as far as she was concerned, the outburst had happened, been dealt with and now she just wanted to move forward – having to discuss it with every colleague who wanted to apologise for it was really not helping the moving forward part.

"You might have to suffer until the end of term," sympathised Caroline, completely understanding Kate's point – what had been said couldn't be unsaid – the best they could hope for now was for everyone to move on and for it to not happen again.

"Yet another reason to be counting the hours," joked Kate as they finally, after letting a couple of stragglers pass by them to reach their seats in the middle of the row, were able to take their own seats.

"Tell me about it…" agreed Caroline, smiling into the descending darkness when she felt Kate take her hand….their evening was maybe turning out to be not so bad after all….

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen – if I could encourage you to take your seats again?" It took a couple of goes but eventually, the Head of Music managed to get the excited audience to calm down enough for him to start on the traditional closing remarks before, if history intended to repeat itself, a couple of encores would be played.

"Thank you. Now, as those of you who have been to one of these before will know, I normally say a few words about how great this evening's concert has been and hopefully get you all to agree that this year's concert was as good as last year's…" he had to pause whilst a cheer started but, when it became clear he wasn't quite finished, it quietened down and he was able to continue, "…thing is, I'm not going to ask you that this year, because I don't think this year was as good as last year…" he paused just long enough for people to stop and think before continuing, "…I think it was even better, would you agree?" His laughter was drowned out by the raucous cheering that confirmed what everyone who had been involved on the stage during the evening had been feeling throughout the evening – whilst prior years had been very, very good, especially for a school concert, tonight's concert had been something quite extraordinary. When the audience began to show signs of cheering itself hoarse, at least for a moment, he continued.

"In fact, I think I might be in trouble with the Bursar because I do believe you've literally raised the roof tonight!" More laughter echoed around the hall, this time led by the parents.

"It's at this point that I need to ask for some cheers of thanks – let's start with all our excellent singers this evening – I know you've already clapped your hands raw, but let's hear it one more time for everyone?" As all the pupils shuffled onto the stage to take what was now the traditionally haphazard 'company bow' the audience cheered and many stamped their feet or whistled to add to the noise.

"Wow, okay, well perhaps a smaller cheer for my fellow music teachers who've joined me in accompanying the stars of the show?" Despite his modest request, the cheer from the audience was loud and long as various members of the music staff stood up and waved.

"And how about a cheer for our very indulgent Headmistress who every year lets us get away with ever more ambitious programmes – she knows her Gorillaz from her Gershwin…thank you Dr Elliot!" Once again the audience cheered and whistled as the annual appreciation to Caroline for letting the once very sombre 'school music concert' become ever more varied as it was driven by the musical interests of the pupils rather than the expectations of the Governors (as her predecessor had insisted) was given, something Caroline wished they'd stop doing as, for a number of years, all she'd done was nod and say 'yes, but let me listen to the original first, ok?' to any random request or suggestion.

"Now, usually I'd stop with the thanks but there is one person we haven't thanked yet and who everyone up here," he gestured to all the teachers and pupils on the stage around him, "all agree is the reason this year is even better than ever before." He had to pause as the pupils on stage all spontaneously started cheering, much to the curiosity of the audience.

"What's going on?" whispered Caroline, no more enlightened as to what her Head of Music was going on about than anyone else.

"I have no idea," replied Kate, biting her lip.

"Then why are you squeezing my hand so tight?"

"Umm." Before Kate could attempt to explain or even consciously relax her grip on Caroline's hand, the Head of Music did it for her.

"Many of you know her as your Modern Languages teacher, some of you know her as the only one able to tame the Chapel Organ…" he held up his hand for silence as some started cheering a little too early, "…she's also the only one talented enough to get the staff choir to sound good, and, to our great delight as I'm sure you'll all agree, I finally persuaded her to help us all out with tonight's programme. Can I ask you for your biggest cheer of the night, one guaranteed to raise the roof and upset the Bursar, cos let's face it, I'm probably already in trouble for this…" his joke triggered a ripple of genuine laughter through the whole audience as Caroline just looked at Kate in amazement. How had she not known this? "…and it's the only way we're going to get Miss McKenzie up here to help with the encores, so, if you'd be so kind, can I have a huge cheer of thanks for all the help Miss McKenzie has given us?" and, as he peered out into the dark hall hoping she actually was out there somewhere (his spies had spotted her at the interval, but that was no guarantee), the loudest, most enthusiastic cheer of the night, led by the pupils and teachers on stage, erupted.

"You're amazing." Caroline had to shout to be heard, despite being mere centimetres from Kate's ear.

"I…" Kate was stunned – she didn't deserve this, didn't expect this – all she'd done was help some of the pupils who sang in her choir pick their solos and help them with some of the trickier bits.

"Go on, you deserve it," encouraged Caroline, as proud of Kate now as she had been of William on Palm Sunday.

"Did you…" Kate was overwhelmed still, time moving so slowly it felt like it had stopped, unable to quite comprehend what was happening.

"Have anything to do with this? No, I didn't even know you'd helped!" And, with a big grin (she wasn't disciplined enough to be able to hug Kate and not kiss her indecently given their surroundings), Caroline pushed the embarrassed Kate into the aisle and joined in the applause, though, confident no one was really able to see them tucked away in their corner, she did risk blowing Kate a kiss.

With no escape, Kate took a composing breath and, grateful once again that her colouring meant no one could really tell she was blushing, set off towards the stage, her fingers instinctively flexing and stretching when she saw the school's shiny grand piano being pushed to the centre of the stage. Finally (seconds that felt like hours to Kate) she arrived on stage alongside Mark, the Head of Music who, whilst they waited for the cheering to quieten down, said

"This is the only memory you need of today," as he gave her a friendly hug.

"I'm going to kill you!" she joked, touched by how supportive he was being with his acknowledgment of the afternoon without actually mentioning it directly.

"No, you're not…" he teased, pleased to see her smile a little before adding, "…but Caroline probably will, for embarrassing you like this."

"Probably," she agreed before deciding she'd stood on the stage long enough so, turning for the microphone, she remarked conversationally, "I feel underdressed," whilst gesturing towards her normal teaching clothes of trousers and top, which compared with the black dresses and smart suits the singers had been wearing, were a little plain.

"Finally, an excuse to lose this thing!" and, to the delight of the pupils in the audience, the usually scruffy Head of Music took off his dinner jacket, pulled off his tie and loosened his collar buttons. "Ready?" he asked, gesturing towards the piano stool, grinning what he'd always been told was his most charming smile, earning him an eye roll and a playful thump from Kate. Whilst she took a moment to get comfortable at the keyboard and try to work out what the hell was going to happen next, he continued to explain to the still excited audience, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I have no idea what's about to happen but I know we're all going to enjoy it." And, with a final nod to Kate, he retreated back to his drum kit, as eager as everyone else in the hall to see what happened next.

For one brief, horrible moment, Kate looked at the keyboard and her mind went totally blank, almost as if she'd never sat at a piano before, totally lacking any idea what to do or play. Just as she was about to think about panicking, she looked up at the pupils, her pupils who had come to choir practices, persuaded her to watch clips of Glee, dared her to play different types of music on the piano and organ, had, through their enthusiasm enthused her with the various inspirations to inspire them to be even better than they had been, to have a go at things they hadn't dared to try. Suddenly, instead of being devoid of ideas, she was spoilt for choice, her mind full of options, choices, possibilities…

"Miss McKenzie?" Jessica, the popular Head Girl who was also Sam's older sister had managed to weave her way around the back of the piano and appear by the keyboard.

"What do you want to sing?" asked Kate, recognising from how everyone else was moving about on the stage that maybe there was a plan after all.

"I heard what happened, in the staff room," Kate winced, "that song we did last week? I think I get it now…" the Head Girl admitted, remembering as Kate did, the song she'd been singing last week that she'd thought she was singing really well but Kate had told her she could sing it better if only she'd think about the words of the song as well as the tune.

"You want to sing it?" Kate's hands were already drifting towards the opening chords.

"We all want to…" and, with a nod of agreement, Kate waited whilst Jessica moved to the front of the stage, ready to sing.

The gentle chords of the introduction calmed the over-excited audience and, sensing the mood change, they all retook their seats, eager for what was about to come next. A few moments later, the drums took up a soft beat as the music teachers making up the band joined in with support, enabling Kate to develop the tune a little more. When the introduction finished, the tune was picked up by the Head Girl who, thinking about the lyric as well as the tune, started to sing 'I wish I knew how it would feel to be free', the rich notes carrying a haunting, thoughtful texture that hadn't been there before in when she'd sung this song and, the audience realised, hadn't been there in the other Nina Simone songs she'd sung earlier in the concert.

* * *

From her seat at the back of the Hall, Caroline sat in shock, unable to fully comprehend quite what she was discovering – certainly she knew the school was blessed with some dedicated music teachers who every year encouraged talented students to participate in what was, by most school concert standards, something quite exceptional and technically very accomplished. She also knew, from other school events and from the sheet music lying around Kate's home, that her girlfriend was just as talented and skilled as the members of the music department, with the School Choir enhancing the end of term chapel services with a wide range of wonderful music more usually expected from Cathedral Schools than anything Sulgrave Heath had ever previously enjoyed. What she hadn't known, admittedly because she'd never asked (and she completely understood why her modest girlfriend wouldn't have volunteered), was the extent of Kate's quiet input into this concert, having always been very careful about not encroaching on the music department's territory.

"Here…" Her focus on Kate, who was easily accompanying Jessica through the beautiful song with just the right level of improvisation, was so strong that Caroline had failed to notice either Beverley sit down in Kate's empty seat or the fact that, on some sub-conscious level (her conscious level being too distracted with Kate's piano playing to even notice the singer), the words of the song were penetrating her fuzzy brain, a brain which, still not totally calmed from the afternoon's events, had completely forgotten about dignity, decorum and a Headmistress' façade and was instead crying, tears pouring down her face.

"Thank you," sniffed Caroline, accepting the proffered tissues from her secretary when the song concluded and the audience, after a long moment of spell-bound silence, started cheering and applauding.

"She wouldn't want you crying," observed Beverley, their conversation continuing in spite of the prolonged applause, helping Caroline to find some composure at least for long enough to complete her evening's duty.

"No, she wouldn't," agreed Caroline, smiling at the good point her friend and colleague was making, "what would I do without you Bev?" she asked, turning to look at her.

"Make your own tea?" Laughing and unable to think of a way to answer that, Caroline turned her attention back to the stage where clearly, the microphone in her possession, the Head Girl was taking charge.

"Thank you. Now, since no one has any music and no one's got any sort of plan…" at this she looked sheepishly towards Kate, "…not to mention we're already in all sorts of trouble for embarrassing Miss McKenzie like this, it's only going to get messy if we try to sing something so, that leaves me only one question to ask…" With a quick glance to the Head of Music who, in response twirled his drum sticks, clearly in on the plan and ready to play she asked, "how about some boogie-woogie?" And, before Kate could object, the beat was being sounded on the bass drum and she had no choice but to put her brain on autopilot and let her fingers just get on with it, much to the noisy delight of the audience who, in total contrast to the previous song, started jumping up and literally boogie-woogie-ing, caught up in the infectious, playful beat. It would be quite some time before anyone sat down again…

* * *

"He's in bed at least," remarked Caroline as she came into the kitchen, "doubt he'll sleep for a while though."

"He won't be the only one," agreed Kate, thinking about all the adrenalin-fuelled pupils they'd seen leaving the school when the concert had finally finished, "tea?" she suggested, not really in the mood for wine.

"Hot chocolate?" countered Caroline, laughing when she saw Kate's eyes brighten.

"With marshmallows and cream?"

"Mmm, sugar rush?" joked Caroline, reaching for a small saucepan so she could start heating some milk.

"Not really," disagreed Kate, collecting the milk from the fridge and joining Caroline at the cooker before, once her hands were free, wrapping her arms around Caroline's waist and resting her chin on Caroline's shoulder, mirroring their pose from cooking less than a week ago when the what would become the saga of the book report had first begun, "…more like Caroline rush," she amended, pressing an open-mouthed kiss to the underside of Caroline's jaw.

"Mmm…mustn't let the milk burn…" mumbled Caroline in a feeble attempt at protest, her arched neck allowing Kate even easier access to her neck and jaw.

"Best try and concentrate then," teased Kate, pulling Caroline's work shirt from her skirt and slipping her fingers underneath the fabric so she could start caressing warm skin, all the while not stopping her slow, lazy kisses.

"Kate…" Caroline's voice, whilst husky and warm did have a hint of warning as the mature and responsible side of her regained enough control to assert itself just a little.

"I'll be good," agreed Kate, stopping her kisses and stilling her fingers.

"You don't need to be that good," sighed Caroline, somehow feeling like she'd lost contact with Kate even though she was still wrapped in her lover's loose embrace, "…just not as distracting as you were," she admitted quietly, wondering how Kate would interpret her request.

"I'll behave," declared Kate, immediately contradicting her words by resuming her gentle caress of Caroline's stomach and pressing a simple, soft kiss to Caroline's neck, only to then stop with any further kisses, knowing that really wasn't fair on Caroline, "…after all, it's not fair on the milk." This unexpected statement prompted a giggle from Caroline and served as a welcome distraction from the craving for another kiss she was also experiencing.

"You can explain to Laurence why there's no milk for his cereal tomorrow."

"We've finished it all?"

"Not quite, but he can't drown his cereal with the bit that's left," explained Caroline, wondering how Kate would respond – neither boy was particularly bright or brilliant at breakfast before school, with morning harmony generally achieved by the habitual adherence to a well-choreographed routine, a routine that now was often adjusted to include a second mug of coffee for Kate and Caroline only eating half of each piece of her toast because Kate stole the other half.

"It's the last day of term, I'll make breakfast – waffles maybe?" volunteered Kate, deciding the routine would already be disrupted enough by Laurence not wearing his school uniform.

"Is there no end to your hidden talents?" Caroline had intended the question to be a tease, a throwaway remark to lead them into a gentle round of flirtatious banter whilst they turned the now hot milk into large mugs of hot chocolate complete with cream and marshmallows. Instead, as she reached to turn the heat off, she felt Kate stiffen.

"Kate? What's wrong?" Milk forgotten, Caroline turned around in Kate's embrace and, seeing the troubled expression on her girlfriend's face, wrapped her arms around Kate's slender waist.

"I'm sorry, for tonight… I didn't know…"

"SShh…" Caroline confirmed her request by stilling Kate's lips with her own, trying to provide a fleeting moment of reassurance to the clearly ill at ease Kate, "…I'm not mad, or cross or angry or anything negative at all with you…and I'm saying that as Dr Elliot as well as your girlfriend."

"But?" Relieved, Kate took a calming breath but was too astute to interpret Caroline's positive statement as a blanket declaration that closed any further discussion about the concert and her unexpected starring cameo at the end.

"But I'm going to have to be Dr Elliot to explain more," said Caroline, resting her forehead against Kate's, wanting as much of a physical connection with her lover whilst she spoke as she could, "…you want to do this now?" she asked softly, knowing sometimes it was better to know everything but also recognising how hard they tried to keep their work and personal relationships as separate as possible without causing unnecessary amounts of stress.

"I think so," said Kate finally, clearly reluctant to admit it but recognising she probably wasn't going to be able to switch off enough to relax enough to sleep if she didn't understand the impact the evening's performance had had on her professional life. Whilst once she might have settled for the sleepless night, after the afternoon she'd had, she definitely needed sleep, ideally with her girlfriend and that meant listening to what Dr Elliot had to say tonight.

"Let's have the hot chocolate at the table then," said Caroline simply, pressing a last kiss on Kate's nose before dropping her arms from Kate's waist, "…and there should be some dunkable biscuits in the tin by the kettle if you want."

* * *

Minutes later, large mugs of decadent hot chocolate in front of them, Caroline, with her shirt tucked back into her skirt, addressed the proverbial elephant that was now in the room with them.

"I'm going to ask Beverley to organise a meeting for me to talk to Jake and Mark," she began, naming the Heads of Modern Languages and Music, "I need them to tell me, between them, exactly what extra-curricular commitments you've been undertaking, in both departments." When Kate looked like she was about to protest, Caroline smiled gently and asked, "hear me out, please?" On seeing Kate's nod and, having taken a warming sip of hot chocolate, Caroline restarted what she wanted to say.

"You're employed as a full time modern languages teacher and, in the years you've been in the school, your classes have consistently been some of the Department's best and you now have one of the heavier teaching loads with the number of GCSE and A-Level classes that you teach. In addition to that, rather than taking on a form teacher role, you offered to help the music department out by playing the organ and working with the main school choirs as well as, for your sins, the staff choir." Caroline paused again to study Kate for a moment, relieved to note her facial expression was calm and attentive but worried Kate's overall posture was still tense.

"From tonight's amazing concert, it's clear you are helping out the music department far more than that, which…" Caroline smiled when she saw Kate try to object before she evidently remembered she'd agreed to hear Caroline out, "…I know you do willingly and without detriment to your duties in your own department, and clearly the pupils respond well to your help and I have absolutely no issue with that."

"But?" Kate couldn't help herself.

"But I need Mark to explain why his department needs so much help, want both of them to understand they need to work together to make sure you are able to continue to do whatever it is you do best, for both departments in a sustainable way that you are properly credited for."

"Which means?" Kate was beginning to relax properly as the significance of Caroline's words registered with her – she was going to be able continue doing what she was doing, she wasn't in trouble for overstepping departmental boundaries.

"Oh, probably a pay rise…" she was amused to see Kate's eyes widen – that wasn't remotely what she had been thinking about, "…only a small one, realistically," qualified Caroline, being all too familiar with the intricacies of the school's budgets and the Bursar's constant scrutiny of all things financial.

"Seriously? You're really not cross?"

"With you? No – concerned that the involved Heads of Department didn't handle your teaching talents and commitment as well as I'd have hoped? Yes, and I'll fix that. Annoyed that your good nature and willingness to muck in and help out has been unnoticed and underappreciated by the school authority for too long? Definitely. Is Dr Elliot embarrassed that something like this could go on for so long in her school without her knowing about it? She's too embarrassed to admit that, especially considering how well she knows the teacher in question and realises she's been assuming things again…" Caroline smiled sheepishly at that last admission, causing Kate to grin, her shoulders completely relaxing for the first time since the start of the vote of thanks for her at the concert earlier, "…but mostly Dr Elliot is just very thankful for and grateful to her talented, dedicated and musical Modern Languages teacher."

"Oh."

"Oh okay?"

"Oh, wow, oh."

"Can I stop being Dr Elliot now?"

"Thank you."

"You really okay?" asked Caroline, pulling her shirt out from her skirt again, the un-tucked shirt being one of the clearest signals she knew to give Kate that she definitely wasn't her Boss anymore, just her girlfriend.

"Today's been…" Kate's attempt to describe the emotional ups and downs was lost in a yawn that caught her by complete surprise.

"Long," said Caroline succinctly, glancing up at the kitchen clock and seeing it was almost midnight.

"Mmm, yeah, and memorable," agreed Kate, finishing her hot chocolate and moving to stand up, Caroline's bed starting to call her loudly.

"You okay?" Caroline's voice was tender as she stood up, intent on helping Kate clear up the kitchen.

"Yes actually." Kate surprised herself with how easily and honestly that answer came, with the afternoon's excitement now firmly behind her, helped mainly by the swift and decisive response by the Governors on the advice of their Headmistress, but also by the solid, loving and supportive presence of Caroline who, in spite of everything else that had happened and required her attention as either mother or headmistress, had just been there, for her. "You?"

"Yes." Caroline paused to consider how to sum up her day without reopening the whole event for Kate. Maybe one day she'd explain what happened in her office when Josephine Connors had begun to face the reality of her situation, hopefully she'd never have to tell how she'd had to repeat everything that had happened to the Board of Governors, explaining the abuse she'd heard directed at Kate, the accusations thrown at Kate and her and the concerns she had for her son and other pupils who were from families with either black or gay members…but not today, not tonight. Tonight was a time for something lighter, something that had nothing to do with the afternoon, nothing to do with Josephine Connors and the damage she'd almost done, "…but don't think that little performance this evening gets you out of playing for me, even if it was extremely hot…" teased Caroline, once again wrapping her arms around Kate's waist.

"Hot?"

"You, a grand piano…very, very hot…" repeated Caroline, brushing a stray strand of hair from Kate's face.

"You liked it when I boogied?"

"And woogied…" agreed Caroline, her breath hitching when she realised Kate was leaning in, presumably to initiate a kiss, prompting her to close her eyes in anticipation…only to open them quickly in disappointment when, rather than enjoying some sort of kiss, she'd felt Kate lick the tip of her nose.

"What was that for?"

"You had cream, from the hot chocolate, on the end of your nose."

"I did?" It took a surprisingly large amount of willpower to resist the urge to touch the end of her nose to check.

"Yup."

"Since when?"

"Since your first sip."

"So when I was…" appalled, Caroline realised she'd had cream on her nose all the time they'd been having their serious conversation about work.

"Uh huh."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"You didn't want to be interrupted," observed Kate mildly, tucking a strand of Caroline's hair behind the blonde's ear.

"Kate…" chided Caroline, knowing that wasn't the real reason.

"I didn't notice at first and, by the time I did, I was looking forward to licking it off," she concluded her explanation with another kiss (this time minus the lick) to the tip of Caroline's nose.

"Sap." Caroline leaned in for a lazy kiss that neither was in any rush to either escalate or conclude but another yawn from Kate unfortunately influenced their plans.

"Come on," encouraged Caroline, slipping out of Kate's grasp and pulling her towards the door, "…it'll still be there in the morning."

"The washing up?" asked Kate sleepily, not protesting, the day's varied events definitely taking its toll on her.

"That too," agreed Caroline, turning out the lights as, hand in hand, she guided Kate towards the stairs, "…but I actually meant that feeling I get when you kiss me like that," before she demonstrated exactly what she meant with another long, leisurely kiss.

"Definitely still there in the morning," confirmed Kate before, treading lightly so as not to rouse the hopefully sleeping Laurence, they headed upstairs to Caroline's bedroom: like washing up, love would still be there in the morning…


	10. Pillow Talk

There were, knew Caroline after a fair few tearful nights wrestling with these truths, a number of things she would do differently were she ever to find herself abandoned by the father of her children again. Some of them, like not filing for divorce immediately, or kicking him out of the house permanently rather than permitting him access to the spare bedroom for a couple of months, were major decisions the consequences of which were, she now knew, in the grand scheme of things, largely irrelevant now, more than a year after his affair with Judith had begun. Some however, were smaller, less weighty decisions, decisions she'd taken on a whim, but decisions that had consequences, and it was these consequences that she had to live with on a daily basis that caused her frustration and early morning hypothetical debates with herself.

"Come back to bed…" mumbled Kate, only moving enough to open her eyes and spot Caroline standing by the closed bedroom door, two mugs of tea in her hands.

"Didn't know you were awake."

"Wasn't really, until the door closed and you still weren't here," said Kate, her voice muffled by the pillow she was snuggled into – a poor substitute for her absent girlfriend.

"Sorry…" Caroline was clearly still distracted by something as she put both mugs of tea down on the bedside table.

"What's the matter?" asked Kate as, sensing Caroline was mulling on something, she rolled onto her side so it was easier to talk to her, automatically pulling the bedclothes up from her waist, significantly reducing the amount of her on display, much to Caroline's disappointment.

"You've ruined the view," she pouted, even as she was stepping out of the random t-shirt and pyjama bottoms she'd pulled on in order to go make their tea, referencing the fact she could no longer admire Kate's long naked back which, bathed in the spring sunshine streaming through the curtains, had contrasted so invitingly with the cream bedclothes.

"You're improving the view." Kate shamelessly ogled Caroline's naked body, a body Caroline had initially been nervous of revealing to the younger Kate out of fear for the reaction from her younger, fitter, less middle-aged girlfriend. Now, almost a year since their first tentative acquainting touches and caresses, whilst Caroline still wasn't particularly confident in her own body's appearance without the benefit and assistance of clothes, she was now confident in Kate's reaction which, when she really thought about it, was all that mattered. "You are coming back to bed?" checked Kate, wondering why Caroline was stood by the bed.

"Trying to," confirmed Caroline, eying the bed next to Kate with distaste.

"Why? Oh!" Spotting the problem, Kate flicked back the bedclothes to reveal the Elliot family cat which had, once again, taken advantage of Caroline's visit to the kitchen for their tea and curled up under the bedclothes exactly where Caroline now wanted to lie. Sliding her hand under the snoozing cat, Kate easily lifted her up and, rolling over, smoothly deposited the surprised feline in a patch of sunlit floor by the side of the bed, well away from Caroline was taking the opportunity to reclaim 'her' rightful spot in bed with Kate.

"Comfy?" asked Kate eventually when, after a fair bit of pillow shaking and bedclothes wrestling, Kate was lying on her back with Caroline, her head propped up with one hand, lying alongside Kate.

"Mmm, for the moment," agreed Caroline, leaning forwards so she could reach Kate's lips and share a long, lazy kiss.

"Good morning," said Kate eventually when their kiss came to a natural conclusion.

"Hello." Caroline leaned across again and initiated another leisurely kiss, her free hand drawing abstract patterns along Kate's collarbone before reluctantly, she had to end the kiss and let her head fall onto the pillow they were now sharing, her arm unable to comfortably support her head any longer.

"Fancy seeing you here," teased Kate, turning onto her side so it was easier to maintain eye contact.

"Thought I'd stop by…" joked Caroline, shifting so they were lying in a familiar position with their legs entwined, arms resting loosely on each other's waists above the covers.

"Mmm…" It was Kate's turn to initiate the languid kiss that was all about love and connecting with each other just as they were in the moment now, rather than as an initiation for something more passionate, "…come here often?" quipped Kate automatically, only to start to giggle when she realised quite how daft it was, asking that question of Caroline given it was her bed they were currently lying in.

"What?" Caroline hadn't spotted the joke yet.

"Come here often…" repeated Kate, getting her giggles under control.

"Is very cheesy, and slightly rude," agreed Caroline, still not seeing what was making Kate so amused, though she hadn't had her first cup of tea yet, which wasn't going to help her ability to participate in witty banter.

"It's your bed," explained Kate, knowing the humour wasn't going to survive the explanation.

"Ah."

"Caroline…" Caroline's non-response sobered Kate immediately, "everything okay? Are the boys? Your mother?" Suddenly the delay in coming back to bed and Caroline's slight distraction made a certain type of sense to Kate.

"What? Yes, they're fine…" It took Caroline a minute to work out why Kate had been jumping to all those various conclusions before she realised why, "…I was thinking about the cat, well, the divorce too, but mainly the cat."

Kate was totally lost but, at the mention of the divorce, she decided she really needed to finish this conversation in short order, possibly with the benefit of a cup of tea, so, with a quick kiss to Caroline's nose she suggested, "shall we have the tea while it's hot?" before they both started repositioning themselves until, sat up against the headboard, mugs of tea in hand, Kate asked, "the cat?"

"Mmm, the divorce really, but yes, the cat."

"Caroline." Kate was going to need a more detailed explanation.

"I was jealous of the cat, am jealous of the cat," she admitted quietly, relieved she could focus on her mug of tea and avoid Kate's curious gaze.

"Why?"

"Because every time I leave the room, by the time I've come back, she's in my spot next to you, whether it's the bed or the couch." She knew she sounded petulant and childish but didn't care.

"And every time I move her," said Kate, not seeing the major problem.

"If you're awake," grumbled Caroline, taking a sip of her tea.

"I think," said Kate reasonably, trying desperately not to inflame the situation by either laughing at or suggesting to Caroline how cute she was being right now, "that I'm missing the major part of this story?"

"When Laurence was old enough to go to nursery school, John got a kitten because he…I don't know…was angry with me for not wanting to stay barefoot and pregnant for ever? Maybe because the house was too quiet…" Kate blinked, not quite expecting the explanation to start that far back or for it to reveal that it was John who had been pressuring Caroline for children, "…but we had a cat, which didn't particularly like me and I certainly didn't like it, something which amused John no end. Anyway, it got older and sick with something, I don't know what…" Caroline paused as she tried to remember what some of the details were but couldn't, "…and I thought that was the end of cats, and it was, until John came home with another kitten, some story about his researcher's cat having an unexpected litter."

"You didn't believe him?"

"I did at the time but now? I wonder if he wasn't just being deliberately annoying. I'd just been appointed Headmistress at school and he'd not got some extra funding or something… there was shouting…" Caroline trailed off as she remembered that awkward term and a half when they'd been preparing to move from Leeds, where her last school had been, to Harrogate. The move hadn't affected John in any way, with York (where his lectureship was) just as accessible to Harrogate as it had been from Leeds.

"And you still don't like cats?" asked Kate finally, pulling Caroline back to the present.

"Nope, and that cat hates me," confirmed Caroline, absentmindedly rubbing a scar on her arm from one of her earliest battles with this latest cat.

"Okay, so next time the cat's in the way and I'm asleep, come around this side of the bed and either wake me up or just get in," suggested Kate easily, understanding now why extracting a contented car from the warm bedclothes wasn't something that was ever high on Caroline's to do list.

"You think I'm crazy."

"No, sensible: took my sister six trips to Casualty to understand that the cat just didn't want to play with her, ever."

"Six trips…but…" Caroline had only met Kate's sister once, but she'd seemed intelligent and sensible enough.

"She was four."

"Ah." Satisfied, Caroline sipped her cooling tea, trying to imagine what Kate must have looked like at that age.

"Stop trying to picture me as a four year old."

"Why?"

"Because it's weird, and you know my mother will send you pictures if you ask." Kate had long ago resigned herself to the fact that she could have no childhood secrets from Caroline as her mother was only too eager to share them all, with photographs where possible, now she'd got past the shock that Kate wasn't ever going to find herself a 'nice Nigerian gentleman' to settle down with.

"True, but I try not to ask," said Caroline, knowing how much she hated it when Celia got the baby pictures out.

"Why does the cat sleep in your bed then?" Kate was puzzled – if Caroline and the cat had issues, it didn't make sense, unless, "did it, when John was…" Kate couldn't bring herself to finish that statement.

"God no! And before you ask, that bed's in the spare room now – has been since before my birthday," said Caroline, not recalling ever mentioning her little furniture rearrangement.

"I know – William mentioned it once."

"He did? Why?" Not that she minded, after all, he had helped her move the beds around but how on earth had it come up in conversation?

"He mentioned it when, in a roundabout way a few months ago, he wanted to tell me that the divorce had nothing to do with me and that you'd already decided you were no longer in the marriage long before you actually said anything, all because you'd changed the beds around. He did wonder why you didn't just buy a new mattress," recalled Kate, smiling at the memory.

"That's something else I'd have done differently," muttered Caroline, putting her now empty tea mug on the bedside table.

"I don't follow."

"Earlier, the cat made me realise wondering if I'd got the big decisions right, about the divorce and so on, wondering whether I could have done things differently so that it might have been, I don't know, quicker or easier or calmer…" Caroline turned so she could now look at Kate who, clearly confused as to what had triggered this introspection early on a Sunday morning, was at least listening calmly, not inferring from either Caroline's words or body language that this musing had a detrimental impact on their relationship, "…and I realised it wouldn't and I should stop wasting my thoughts. The divorce was always going to be exactly how it is, and wondering what else might have been is pointless."

"You worked all that out from the cat?" Kate's question caused Caroline to laugh.

"No, the cat made me realise I'd been reliving the wrong decisions, and it was the little ones that were actually causing me problems, and no, you were never a little decision."

"I think I'll take that as a compliment," joked Kate, finished with her tea mug and so putting it on the floor, "I still don't understand what this has to do with the cat."

"One morning after John had buggered off to Judith's, I got up to make some tea and left the bedroom door open. When I came back, the cat had taken up residence."

"And you didn't stop her."

"No…I started talking to her…and it's not like I ever anticipated using both sides of the bed again." Caroline trailed off, not really sure what else to say, conscious it all sounded a bit silly now.

"A little decision," said Kate, shuffling back down the bed so she was once more lying down.

"That I'd take differently knowing what I know now."

"And the bed?" Kate was curious.

"I wouldn't swap it with the spare room one," said Caroline resolutely, copying Kate and moving down and across the bed so she was once more lying close to Kate.

"No?" Kate had given up trying to predict what Caroline was going to say next.

"No…I'd get a new, more comfortable one delivered…" mumbled Caroline, started to become more interested in her naked girlfriend in said bed than the bed itself.

"Caroline?" Kate's voice was husky as Caroline's lips and fingers began to distract her.

"Mmm?"

"Want to go bed shopping later?"

"Shops don't open for hours…" breathed Caroline as she slipped her leg over Kate's hip and began trailing kisses along Kate's collar bones.

"Oh good…" and, conversation and cat forgotten, they resumed their indulgent lie-in, happy to postpone all decisions large or small for another couple of hours or so….

* * *

"Comfortable?"

"Mmm, almost," confirmed Caroline, shifting across the bed slightly. It was, intellectually she knew, not possible for one brand new pocket spring to be any more or less comfortable than another, but her back wasn't convinced.

"Take your time," teased Kate, having a pretty good idea what position Caroline was going to end up in.

"Hello." Caroline was finally still.

"Hi."

"I'm comfortable now."

"Sure?"

"Positive. You?"

"Yes." Smiling, Kate gently eased her arm across the bed a little so that she stood a chance of still having feeling in her hand in the morning.

"You're laughing at me."

"How am I laughing at you?" asked Kate, immediately schooling her features so the amused grin was replaced with a more serious expression.

"Your brain is."

"I wouldn't dream of laughing at you, not even on the inside," reasoned Kate in a mock serious tone, knowing Caroline knew Kate knew she was teasing her.

"Oh really?" Caroline started exploring the bits of Kate that were in easy reach of foot and fingers, drawing a brief gasp from Kate that wasn't the good sort of gasp.

"I'm buying you bed socks," she declared as a particularly cold foot wrapped itself around a warm calf.

"You have a thing for wool?"

"More like I don't have a thing for cold feet…" said Kate carefully, trying to focus in spite of the maddening caresses Caroline's fingers were currently casting across her stomach.

"Only being friendly," observed Caroline, her fingers moving further up Kate's torso, "…I don't have to be, if you aren't feeling friendly…" It was Caroline's turn to adopt a mock-serious tone.

"Nope, friendly is good," agreed Kate, slipping fingers under the hem of Caroline's pyjama top and feeling out the warm skin of Caroline's lower back.

"Friendly is good…" sighed Caroline, as their conversation was quickly abandoned for far more pleasurable activities…..

* * *

"Comfortable?" asked Kate for the second time since they'd taken advantage of the empty house and gone to bed early.

"Mmm, almost," confirmed Caroline before she finally settled, "now I am. You?"

"Yes."

"I think we can declare the new bed 'christened'…" observed Caroline cheekily, tracing lazy patterns on Kate's stomach.

"Definitely," agreed Kate with a laugh which earned her a dirty look, "what?"

"Sated girlfriend trying to snooze here," quipped Caroline, gently emphasising her point with a poke to Kate's stomach for emphasis, "rumbling pillow not helpful – don't want to dream about erupting Caribbean volcanoes again," she teased, remembering her confused waking in Oxford the other weekend.

"Sorry…" Kate couldn't help but laugh some more, especially when Caroline started making little 'hmph' noises and muttering about goose-down not being so noisy, only for Kate to suddenly wonder, "Caroline?"

"Yes?"

"Why did we spend 45 minutes worrying about the nationality of the pillows?" asked Kate, remembering the agonies they'd gone through trying to understand the difference between the various types of feather pillows.

"What?" The topic change threw Caroline.

"If you always end up using me as your pillow…" began Kate, smiling when she felt Caroline snuggle into her even more – given Caroline's loathing of the cat, it did amuse Kate whenever Caroline was very cat-like in her behaviour, "…why did we spend so long deciding between Hungarian or Siberian goose-down pillows?"

"Simple…" began Caroline, starting to lose her battle with sleep, lulled to sleep by the wonderful cocoon of new bed and Kate she was wrapped in, "….they didn't stock Nigerian."

"Pardon?" Confused, Kate waited for Caroline to elaborate, but that never came – the blonde was fast asleep, possibly dreaming of Caribbean islands with well-behaved volcanoes, assisted by her one-of-a-kind, not for sale anywhere, top of the range Nigerian pillow….


	11. Take Five

Thank you to everyone who is reading and enjoying these scenes - after some detours to other, semi-standalone story threads (found via the Last Tango Series page or my profile, but I'm sure you've already found them (My Funny Valentine, Comic Relief & Glide), it's time for more in the main strand.

N.B. This scene contains one use of moderate bad language in a racist context - it is not gratuitous and is integral to the plot.

* * *

"Hello?" called out Celia, stepping through the open French Windows into her daughter's large kitchen.

"Hi Mum," Caroline's voice echoed from the hallway, "kettle's on if you want a cup." Obediently, Celia came further into the kitchen and saw the kettle just starting to boil. Assuming the kettle was on for the obvious reason, she quickly found two mugs and tea bags.

"Do you compost?" asked Celia as Caroline entered the kitchen, inspecting the small stack of post that had just been delivered.

"Pardon?" Caroline was completely baffled by the question, resulting in her peering at her mother over her glasses, only to spot the tea bag resting on the teaspoon her mother was brandishing, "oh, yes – there's a brown bin under the sink," she explained, softening her response with a smile as she put the post to one side, "thank you."

"Anything for me?"

"No…" Caroline glanced briefly at the discarded mail, "I think we've got this one trained now – I haven't had any of your post for a couple of weeks."

"Took two weeks too long mind," declared Celia, taking a sip of her hot tea before adding, "not that I mind you getting my post but it's not fair on you, having to remember to bring it round – it's not like you've time to be Postman Pat!"

"I don't mind…" began Caroline cautiously, unable to stop the small ball of worry form in her stomach when Celia started talking about her not having time – the old Caroline would have immediately been on the defensive, hurling a sarcastic quip straight back her mother: the new Caroline at least remembered to count to fifty first.

"And I'm very grateful that you do, I'm just being an old woman who still remembers the local postman asking after you when you were at Oxford because he remembered you confusing him with the tooth fairy…" reminisced Celia, causing Caroline to blush – she'd only been five when her first tooth had fallen out!

"Not that it's not lovely to see you…"

"I brought you Alan's sheet…"

"His what?" Confused, Caroline put her tea mug down and waited for her mother to find whatever it was she was looking for in her cardigan pockets.

"His diet sheet – what the doctors have said he can't have now he's on these new tablets…"

"Ah." Slightly more enlightened, Caroline accepted the piece of paper and began to read it, "I'd planned on a roast…does he like chicken?" she asked eventually, not seeing anything on the list from the doctors that would stop him enjoying a proper roast chicken for Sunday lunch.

"Loves it – gets a bit bored of lamb what with Gillian and the farm, and he moans something terrible about not being able to have crackling anymore."

"Okay then, roast chicken it is, and I'll do something for afters…" Caroline mentally reviewed the contents of her fridge and freezer in light of what she'd just learnt about Alan's dietary constraints, "…maybe a trifle? It feels a bit late to be doing a crumble, even if it is still frosty at night."

"Oh I know…did you see those bedding plants Mrs Croxley put in three doors down on Tuesday?" asked Celia, causing Caroline to smile, "no protection at all and all lost to the frost by Thursday…stubborn fool that she is, she's left them in, claiming they'll 'bounce back'! Bounce back my foot…"

"Do you mind if it's a later lunch? I was thinking about 2…" continued Caroline, deciding it was wiser not to venture an opinion on Mrs Croxley's optimism or horticultural skill, especially when Celia' thumbs were far from green.

"No, that'd be lovely – why so late? Is Laurence doing sport?" Celia's awareness of her grandchildren's extra-curricular activities had improved rapidly in the last year but was still a little vague in places.

"Not on Sundays – it's Kate…" Caroline took a fortifying breath, determined not to pre-judge her mother's reaction on the mentioning of her girlfriend, "…she won't be back from St Michael's until 12.30 at the earliest, more like 1…"

"St Michael's? I didn't know she was religious…" was Celia's eventual comment, clearly choosing her words carefully.

"She isn't, but organs are usually in churches…their organist is a parent and has broken his arm so she's playing a few services to help them out. Apparently it's a nice organ, certainly sounds lovely."

"You've been then?"

"To a service? God no…but she's been going down there some evenings to practice – I've gone down to listen a bit." Caroline hoped she wasn't blushing – she was almost 47 years old but still clearly embarrassed discussing her girlfriend with her mother.

"Shall we come round for about 1.30 then?"

"Lovely. How's Alan doing, really?"

"He's fine, just misses his crackling and black pudding…" And, with all awkward territory safely navigated, mother and daughter settled down to spend a few minutes on a Saturday morning just having a chat about anything, everything and nothing in particular…

* * *

"That was smashing love, thank you," declared Alan, placing his knife and fork tidily on a now empty plate.

"You're very welcome – there's seconds if you'd like some?" offered Caroline politely, knowing from the strict instructions she'd seen the day before on his 'diet sheet' that seconds of Sunday Roast were not part of Alan's future.

"I'll save myself for pudding, but thanks anyway."

"Can I have some more chicken Mum?" asked Laurence, wondering if he'd be allowed extra.

"Depends – will you still have room for trifle if you do?"

"Just a little bit?"

"Of trifle or chicken?" asked Kate, amused by his expression, which was definitely 'naughty schoolboy' as he tried to work out how to get out of her question.

"Umm, both?"

"Come on then, I'll fight you for the last roast potato," teased Kate, getting to her feet before offering, "can I get anyone anything while I'm up?" only to receive a chorus of 'no thank yous' in reply.

"She's good with him," observed Alan as they watched her continue to gently tease Laurence as they both helped themselves to small second helpings, but not before Kate made Laurence do a quick bit of kitchen tidying.

"Mmm, she's wonderful," agreed Caroline automatically before trying to hide her blush behind her wine glass and adding, "and I'm biased."

"And so you should be love, but I'm sure she'd say the same thing…"

"I hope so," agreed Caroline, looking nervously towards her mother – whilst Celia was definitely more supportive than she had been initially, Caroline was still not relaxed in her company when Kate was the topic of conversation, not yet completely confident her mother's comments and reactions were always going to be supportive.

"Does she live here yet?"

"No Mum." As much as she didn't really want to have this particular conversation with her mother, Caroline's gut did untwist a fraction – being hassled by your mother about whether or not your girlfriend had moved in yet was surely some sort of sign of acceptance?

"Have you asked her?" asked Alan gently, cutting in before Celia could ask something less delicately phrased.

"Not exactly – I mean, yes, we've talked in vague terms about it, but it isn't the right time."

"Looks pretty right to me love," Celia's warmth surprised her daughter, who struggled not to gape like a goldfish at this unexpected ringing endorsement, "what's stopping you?" 'Please don't say me' was Celia's unspoken prayer.

"John…"

"What about the toe-rag?"

"Celia…" warned Alan, not sure her forthright opinions were entirely helpful, but Caroline was clearly unfazed and somewhat amused.

"Why couldn't you have told me what you really thought when I got engaged to him?" she asked, smiling.

"Would you have listened?"

"Probably not."

"Well then. What's he done now?"

"Nothing, literally. He's refusing to finalise the divorce."

"Oh." Any further conversation, including Caroline explaining why it was so important, given how unpleasant and obstructive John had been, that the divorce was finalised before Kate moved, in was cut short by the ringing of the telephone.

"I'll get it," called Kate, oblivious to the suddenly serious turn of conversation at the table, only to discover that the portable telephone wasn't in the charging point, "or maybe the machine will," she shrugged, smiling at Caroline as they all heard Caroline's clear voice invite the caller to leave a message.

"Hello?" On hearing the voice, Caroline was out of her seat like a shot, not sure if she was diving for the telephone handset which she'd just spotted by the kettle, around the far side of the kitchen from Kate or the answerphone.

"Caroline? Where are you?" Laurence, on hearing his father's voice, had also set off towards the phone, only unlike his mother he had to first work out where the telephone handset was.

"Answer the phone, I know you're there, playing house with your little black bitch…" Anything further was not heard by the rest of them as Caroline managed to snatch the telephone up, stopping the answerphone message recording in the process, but not before Kate had clearly frozen and everyone else had realised he was drunk.

"That's quite enough of that thank you!" declared Caroline robustly, sounding every inch the Headmistress, with Laurence immediately recognising the tone of voice his mother was using as the same one that brought classes of misbehaving teenagers to an obedient standstill.

"I will not discuss it," came the terse response as Caroline, resisting the urge to pace in her own kitchen, instead turned to look down the garden, not able to cope with looking at Kate whilst she couldn't do something to reassure her and unwilling to look at her son whilst she couldn't control her anger towards his father.

"You mean apart from because we only communicate through our solicitors?" It didn't surprise Alan that Caroline was resorting to sarcasm – he was just impressed she was still trying to reason with the clearly inebriated man, having half expected her to hang up on him.

"You're drunk and abusive. You need help John, but not from me." Just because she wasn't going to pace didn't mean she couldn't tap her foot, although not wearing her stilettos did slightly lessen the satisfaction it usually brought her.

"Just sign the papers please John," she sighed wearily after a long pause during which she had to listen to all manner of abusive language, after which she did what she probably should have done in the first place, which was to hang up.

"Alan?"

"Yes Laurence?" If he was surprised that it was the teenager that broke the awkward silence by talking to him rather than any of his more immediate family (and Alan found himself including Kate in that definition) he tried not to show it.

"You still want to have a go at Mario Kart?"

"I'm not sure I'm supposed to be doing all those game things at my age…" he began, knowing the doctor had been quite specific about what he could and couldn't do, and jumping up and down doing one of those computer games with the loud bangs like Raff did was firmly in the couldn't do list.

"It's not violent – you drove to Gran's didn't you?" asked Laurence, wondering why he wasn't getting the hint. Couldn't he and Celia see that they all needed to get out of the kitchen and give his Mum and Kate a minute?

"Yes…"

"So you can have a go at Mario Kart then – it's just driving a cartoon car round a cartoon race track…even Gran's had a go."

"I was hopeless, kept crashing into things…" volunteered Celia, realising what Laurence was suggesting.

"Sounds like the day we met," teased Alan, getting to his feet and offering his hand to Celia, intent on pulling her through to the other room with him. As much as Caroline might need her mother after that phone call, it was clear to him that Kate and Caroline probably needed each other more, at least for a few minutes.

* * *

"Hello…" said Caroline quietly once they had the kitchen to themselves making, for the moment at least, no move towards Kate.

"Hi…" On hearing Caroline's voice, Kate turned around to look towards her girlfriend. "That was…"

"Unpleasant?" suggested Caroline, taking the three steps necessary to put her within arms' length of Kate who was still standing rather stiffly.

"Unexpected – he hasn't called for months, has he?"

"No…at least…" Caroline paused, before deciding she needed to tell Kate the whole truth, "he still occasionally tries my mobile, usually only when he's drunk though, but I don't answer it. That was the first time I've spoken to him in months."

"I'm sorry." Kate's fingers found a stray pen that was lying on the worktop and began to fiddle with it, prompting Caroline to reach out and grasp the nervous fingers with her own.

"Why? He's my idiot not-yet-ex-husband…" pointed out Caroline, more concerned about making sure Kate stopped trying to assume any blame than anything else.

"But…"

"But nothing – I'm the one who should be apologising for you having to listen to that," As she spoke, Caroline rounded the corner of the kitchen island so she was standing directly in front of Kate, their fingers still entwined.

"What's Celia going to say?"

"No idea – she'd only just finished calling him a toe-rag when he rang."

"You were talking about him?" Kate looked at Caroline in confusion – she'd only been away from the table for a moment or two when the phone rang, and they hadn't been talking about John as she left the table.

"No, you…" Caroline wrapped her other arm loosely around Kate's waist, holding her in a gentle embrace, "…she wanted to know why you weren't living here yet."

"And you explained how you haven't asked me properly yet…" teased Kate, mirroring Caroline's grasp, glad to be back onto a familiar topic of teasing.

"No, I explained how you haven't let me ask you properly yet…" countered Caroline, pleased to see the sparkle start to return to her lover's eyes.

"You know I'll ask Laurence, when you ask me…" whispered Kate seriously, resting her forehead against Caroline's as she squeezed their joined hands.

"You know he'll say yes, when you ask him…" confirmed Caroline equally seriously, feeling her heart soar as it always did every time Kate made some sort of reference to including her sons in their relationship.

"You know I'll say yes, when you ask me properly…"

"I know you'll say yes…" agreed Caroline softly as their lips met in a brief kiss that nevertheless lasted long enough to communicate everything that words couldn't – no matter what happened with everyone else, they were together, through whatever life threw at them (and, if they were honest, life had plenty of choice when it came to things to throw)…

"You're just trying to distract me from that last roast potato…" joked Kate when they parted, trying to lighten the tone again ahead of being reunited with the others.

"Am I succeeding?"

"Maybe…"

"Only maybe? Am I losing my touch?"

"Not sure…I think I need another sample to be sure…" joked Kate, leaning in for another, slightly longer kiss, an 'experiment' Caroline was only too happy to participate in.

"Well?"

"Definitely better than the roast potato…" agreed Kate, smirking as she pulled back reluctantly, conscious that they were still in the middle of a family Sunday Lunch and the impromptu Mario Kart contest probably wouldn't last very much longer.

"But?"

"But now I'm thinking about dessert."

"Are you saying I'm not as good as chocolate trifle?" pouted Caroline, earning her a laugh rather than a kiss as she'd hoped.

"Far from it…" corrected Kate, deliberately stepping back from her girlfriend so as to be out of temptation's reach, "…but not while Celia and Laurence are in the sitting room!"

"You're staying tonight?" Caroline's voice was suddenly husky as she studied Kate's face.

"I'm staying tonight…" confirmed Kate, very glad she'd put even that small amount of distance between them when she realised Caroline was looking at her as if she was the chocolate trifle.

"Okay then…" Feeling suddenly very warm, Caroline cleared her throat deliberately, finding Kate far more tempting than dessert, "…I'll clear the table."

"I'll go get the others," said Kate, recognising they both probably needed a moment apart in order to get their emotions back under total control.

"I love you…"

"I love you too… you're magnificent," declared Kate as she stepped forward and pressed a quick kiss to Caroline's lips before stepping lightly around her and heading towards the sound of Mario Kart, calling out as she went "…which track did you go for Laurence?"

Heading towards the table to clear the plates, Caroline caught sight of the answerphone, with its new message light blinking ominously at her. Pausing, Caroline's first instinct was to reach out and delete the message, wanting the erasing of the recording to somehow help erase the memory but, hand halfway to the button, she paused before letting her hand drop. She'd keep the message and give it to her lawyer, would if necessary, give the whole sodding answerphone to the lawyer. He'd gone too far long ago but now, now it had gone on long enough: today he'd crossed the final line – their marriage was long over and now, too, was their divorce. She'd waited long enough: he was signing those papers if she had to go to court to get it… it was time to stop asking Kate if she was staying the night and start asking Kate if she wanted to move in, after all, it was clear everyone was ready for them to move in together, including her mother…


End file.
